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Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Useless Information Podcast

Airwave Media Podcast Network

Podcasting since 2008! - It really is all true! Quirky, bizarre, and unusual stories from the Flip Side of History.

history

All Episodes

19:13

UI #82 - That's the Ticket

Useless Information Podcast ·

2015/05/09

Back in 1955, Evert Stenmark was out hunting alone for ptarmigan when he became buried by an avalanche. Day after day he remained trapped under the snow. Learn how he survived and the one thing that he had in his wallet that probably saved his life. Also hear the story of a man that suffered the bites from three different animals in the same day, a man that gave up his right arm for his daughter's health, and a woman that called off her wedding partly due to a horse named Wedding Expenses

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19:03

UI #81 - The Shoeless Hillbilly

Useless Information Podcast ·

2015/04/07

When Peter Grainger walked into a US Army recruiting center in San Antonio, Texas back in 1951, he had quite the story to tell. He had spent nearly his entire life living high in the mountains of New Mexico with virtually no contact with the outside world. But was there more to this story than what he was telling them? Also learn about a man with the worst luck ever, a man who hopped the wrong train home, and mysterious movement on the moon. Retrosponsor: Bab-O Cleanser. Learn more about your ad

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25:18

UI #80 - Murder in the Mail

Useless Information Podcast ·

2015/03/06

On an October day back in 1941, John Kmetz received a trial supply of herbal pills that would supposedly restore vitality to his 54-year-old body. Shortly after taking the pills, Kmetz was dead. Learn about the man suspected of the crime, another bizarre event that occurred prior to the murder, and his ultimate fate. Also hear about a singer that kissed one too many women, a man who glued pennies to his desk, and car paint colors that lure beetles. Retrosponsor: Trident gum. Learn more about

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26:25

UI #79 - The Great Venus Swindle

Useless Information Podcast ·

2015/01/22

In 1953 Harold Jesse Berney, head of a Washington, DC television antenna manufacturing operation, was chosen by the US government to be its main contact with Uccelles, a prince visiting our planet from Venus. If that sounds a bit bizarre, listen to this story to learn about one of the most fantastic swindles ever conceived. Also learn about a man who was shot three times and suffered no injuries, the day the circus never came to town, and a truck that could no longer fit through the same garage by

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24:04

UI #78 - The Bowery's Santa

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/12/19

The Christmas episode. Learn about a man named Joe Bonavita who returned to the Bowery in New York City every year to celebrate Christmas with those less fortunate. Also hear three shorter true stories about Santa getting into a bit of hot water. Do you know the first really big hit song to contain Jesus in its lyrics? Listen to find out the answer. Retrosponsor: Toni Home Permanent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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24:22

UI #77 - The Woman with the X-Ray Camera

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/11/29

One of the most bizarre stories ever presented on this podcast. The nearly unbelievable true story about a woman hired to investigate another woman suspected in a jewel heist. Also learn about two woman who thought that they were married to the same dying man, the surprising return of a man's coat years after he gave it away, and a woman who knitted a sweater for the troops during World War I. Retrosponsor: Vitalis Hair Tonic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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21:10

UI #76 - A Life Forgotten

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/10/23

Did you ever wonder what would happen if you completely lost your memory? In this true story, a man went nearly twenty years without remembering a single detail about his life. Also learn why the US Postal Service had been purchasing large quantities of cat food, a bank robbery gone totally wrong, and why ice cream cones were once illegal in Washington, DC. Retrosponsor: Hopper's White Clay Pack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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42:23

UI #75 - The Citicorp Tower Revisited

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/08/16

When the Citicorp Tower in New York City opened in 1977, no one could have ever imagined that it was a fatally flawed building. A phone call from a college student in New Jersey to the building's structural engineer may have saved tens of thousands of lives. This story includes an interview with Lee DeCarolis, the student who made that call. Also learn about a man that desired a woman that could cook applesauce, a couple that had six sets of twins, and a teacher that dared to go tieless.

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25:41

UI #74 - Arrest the Parents

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/07/14

Should parents be held responsible for the crimes that their children commit? Listen to this story from 1947 detailing just what happened when New York City tried to do just that. Also learn about the countries that drink the most coffee, a ring-turning fad, sun lamp parties, and tattooed pantyhose. Retrosponsor: Fram Oil Filters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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23:44

UI #73 - The Canary Funeral

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/05/24

Back in 1920, Newark, NJ was host to one of the most bizarre funerals ever. An estimated 10,000 people lined the streets to witness the funeral procession of Jimmie the singing canary. Also learn the name of the dog on Cracker Jack packaging, a snake that milked a cow, a raccoon that saved its owners' lives, and how a pack of dogs interfered with a sheep study. Retrosponsor: Hartz Mountain Pet Products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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28:04

UI #72 - The Fever Girl

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/04/19

Fun story from 1923. Newspapers around the United States reported daily on the health of the Fever Girl - a woman with the highest temperature ever recorded to that date. Would she live or die? Listen to this episode to find out all of the details. Also learn about the current high-fever record holder plus three tidbits about teachers. Retrosponsor: Velveeta. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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30:52

UI #71 - Baltimore's Buried Treasure

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/03/15

You may have heard about the Californian couple that found five cans of gold coins on their property. Two Baltimore boys made a similar discovery back in 1934, but this pot of gold proved to be anything but lucky. Also learn about people that were paid to wake others up before alarm clocks, four daughters that could never marry, a lawsuit against Jackie Robinson, and an incident involving a minibike and a dog. Retrosponsor: Tums Antacid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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29:26

UI #70 - Busman's Holiday

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/02/11

Have you ever just had enough of your job and wanted to walk away from it? Bus driver William Cimillo found himself in this position back in 1947 and his unique solution made him an instant celebrity. Also learn how many men have ever walked on the moon and three different stories related to tsunamis. Retrosponsor: Rio Grande Cracked Gasoline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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27:31

UI #69 - Tunnel Joe Holmes

Useless Information Podcast ·

2014/01/04

Joseph Ellsworth Holmes was a career criminal serving a twenty year sentence for being the "dinner-time burglar". His great escape in 1951 elevated him to celebrity status overnight. Also learn about the origin of Pepsodent toothpaste, a man who waited 36 years to be reunited with his wife, a dying Navy officer's wish fulfilled after eighteen years, and a pastor that earned his medical degree after 45 years of part time study. Retrosponsor: Pepsodent Toothpaste Learn more about your ad choices

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27:28

UI #68 - The Blaze Incident

Useless Information Podcast ·

2013/12/01

A long-forgotten front page story from January of 1945 that involved the US military, the White House, a Hollywood actress, and one big dog. Also learn the full name of FDR's famous Scottie Fala, a man who really was sucked out of his boots by a jet engine, a family that opted to do some gold mining in their home, and a woman who survived a half-mile fall without a parachute. Retrosponsor: Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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25:21

UI #67 - Mr. Moneybags

Useless Information Podcast ·

2013/10/31

Alexander Ector Orr Munsell was an incredibly wealthy man during the Great Depression. He seemed to have it all, until he suddenly gave it all away to live among the poor in a flophouse. Find out why he chose to do so and what happened after that. Also learn about Pantone colors, and three people who used the wrong ingredients while cooking, resulting in the deaths of their loved ones. Retrosponsor: Horlick's Malted Milk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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25:03

UI #66 - The Baby is in the Mail

Useless Information Podcast ·

2013/09/22

It's absolutely true: When the United States started Parcel Post service in 1913, both babies and small children were mailed. Listen to this story to learn why it was done and how it came to an end. Also hear about the first unsigned band to appear on Saturday Night Live, a new father that couldn't find the hospital door, a bizarre case of supposed illegal search and seizure, as well as the mother-in-law that didn't know how to drive. Retrosponsor: Penn-Daw Motor Hotel. Learn more about your ad

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23:56

UI #65 - The Short Life of Suzy Dewey

Useless Information Podcast ·

2013/08/19

The sad story of a little girl that was diagnosed with terminal leukemia who was the victim of a hoax during the last few months of her short life. Also find out about the first athlete to ever appear on the front of a Wheaties cereal box, two brothers that split the driving responsibilities, a blind man that wanted to know what it was like to drive, and the 128 blind men in Kansas that once held driver's licenses. Retrosponsor: Wheaties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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29:53

UI #64 - Operation Bodysnatch

Useless Information Podcast ·

2013/07/16

At the end of World War II, the United States was faced with the task of reburying four bodies of former German nobility. The three men assigned to the task ran in obstacle after obstacle. Also learn about Cap'n Crunch's full name, a dentist that would let you extract his tooth, male chest "tapestries", and a ban on padded bras. Retrosponsor: Faultless Starch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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25:03

UI #63 - Attack of the 50-Foot Garden Hose

Useless Information Podcast ·

2013/06/09

Some mysterious force was bringing garden hoses all over the United States to life back in 1955. Find out what they did and how one owner named George Di Peso put an end to all of the madness. Also learn the original name of the Wheel of Fortune game show, how elephants helped clearing traffic in Berlin, where some missing hogs were hiding, and how a tortoise lost during World War II was ultimately found. Retrosponsor: Aero-Wax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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262 results

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