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Submit ReviewIn this episode: a train that derailed and then jumped back on the track, a man who claimed ownership of nearly the entire universe, a bet in which the loser would have to eat 1 million peas, and much more!
Link to the auction of the Einstein letter: https://bit.ly/3LazYrx
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-17-podcast-195/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
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In 1923, Kathleen Morrell was arrested by Chicago police for having five children out of wedlock. She was an excellent mother, but as an unmarried woman, she was charged with contributing to the delinquency of her own children. Would a judge really place her kids in an orphanage? Listen to learn more.
The survey discussed in the podcast can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-love-pirate-podcast-194/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
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In this episode: a man who recorded the location of buried treasure on a record, a girl who swallowed 200 rocks, a color-blind plumber, the history of McDonald’s Big Mac, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-16-podcast-193/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
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Ouch!!! The ghastly true story of Bertha Boronda who, in 1907, took a straight razor and sliced off her husband Frank’s penis. During her trial, the courtroom was packed, and all the regional newspapers followed the story closely. She was the Lorena Bobbitt of her day.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/bertha-boronda-podcast-192/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UselessInfoCast
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.
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In this episode: A man who eats match heads, a wife receives a frozen baby elephant for Valentine’s Day, every kiss supposedly knocks 3 minutes off of your life, a couple who waited 60 years to marry, a 10-year-ban is proposed to curb the spread of tuberculosis, and much more!
Link to the survey discussed in this episode: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/airwave
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-15-podcast-191/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast.
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The crazy true story of Marty, a mouse who was stealing marijuana and other drugs from the evidence room of the San Jose police department in 1974. He was placed on trial for his crimes and then sent off to a lab for testing. Protestors rallied to free Marty. Bumper stickers were printed, Free Marty tee-shirts were sold, there was a Marty fan club, and Marty Mouse awards were handed out at a banquet.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/marty-the-marijuana-mouse-podcast-190/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uselessinformationpodcast
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UselessInfoCast
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
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In this episode: A man claims his wife snores in Morse code, a student runs away after his teacher tells him not to return until he brings his textbook, a man hitchhikes after his car is stolen and is picked up by his own vehicle, the AMA recommends those over 40 not do the Twist, and much more!
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-14-podcast-189/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
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Inflation in the United States hit 20% shortly after World War II. The government couldn’t get it under control, so the businessmen of Newburyport, Massachusetts came up with their own plan. Soon, other towns and cities were doing the same. Did it work? Could it work today? Listen to find out.
Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-newburyport-anti-inflation-plan-podcast-188/
The Useless Information Podcast is a member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit https://www.airwavemedia.com/ to listen to more great podcasts just like this one.
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Ten true, long-forgotten stories from Christmas past! A man pays for 41,000 student accounts at a closed Pittsburgh bank, a Christmas cactus theft epidemic, a wife serves her husband golf ball hash, two boys are contacted by Santa via their walkie-talkies, and much more!
Links to the text of each of these stories can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/christmas-retrocast-podcast-187/
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In this episode, my wife Mary Jane joins me to review the 1947 classic Christmas movie "The Bishop’s Wife," starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. Released just one year after the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” we discuss whether this movie is of the same caliber. And even if it isn’t, is the movie worth seeing?
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December 24, 2022, marks the bicentennial of the classic poem Twas the Night Before Christmas. Pamela McColl, author of the new book Twas the Night, The Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem, joins me to discuss the origins of the poem, the debate over who truly wrote it, and how it has gone on to be the most published and most often recited poem in the library of English literature.
Transcript, images, and links for this episode: https://uselessinformation.org/200-years-of-twas-the-night-podcast-185/
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In this third and final segment, 93-year-old Marvin Lautzenheiser discusses his reasons for leaving the FBI, his 17 years consulting with the Pentagon to model future nuclear wars, his patents that are still used today for computer storage, plus you will get to hear music being played on his monster-sized theater organ that he installed in his home.
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In this second segment, 93-year-old Marvin Lautzenheiser discusses his time as an FBI field agent in Charlotte, how his team finally deciphered the hollow nickel message after years of numerous failed attempts, how he avoided testifying at Rudolph Abel's trial, and offers up his opinion on the Steven Spielberg movie Bridge of Spies.
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93-year-old Marvin Lautzenheiser was the lead cryptanalyst for the FBI team that deciphered the microfilm message contained in the Hollow Nickel (Podcast #168) and was asked to testify at the trial of Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. In this first segment, Marvin discusses growing up during the Great Depression and how a chance question at his college graduation led him to the FBI.
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The long-forgotten story of a major battle that took place over Los Angeles just a few months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was but a brief blip in the global conflict, yet the US used all its might in an attempt to shoot down the enemy planes that were detected overhead. The sky was set ablaze with exploding shells as searchlights focused their beams and tracked the enemy aircraft high above.
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The assassination of President John F. Kennedy was a tragic day for the United States. But what else was happening on November 22, 1963? This first episode of the Useless Information YesterCast explores the rest of the happenings of that day, including the top movies, songs, and TV shows.
Included are a number of quirky and offbeat stories, including that of a man who took an ad out in the newspaper seeking an elephant, a man who mistook a boy for a squirrel and shot him, a bank robbery in which the bank earned money, an escapee who had been in jail nearly the entire time he was supposedly on the run, and so much more.
Images, links, & transcript: https://uselessinformation.org/yestercast-1-november-22-1963-podcast-180/
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In this episode, my wife Mary Jane joins me to review the 1944 classic movie "Gaslight." Starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotton, and Angela Lansbury (in her film debut), it is from this movie that the term “gaslighting” originated. It’s a psychological thriller in which the viewer is witness to a woman being intentionally driven to madness by her husband so that he can carry out his sinister plan.
Images, links, and transcript: https://uselessinformation.org/bad-apples-4-gaslight-podcast-179/
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Russell Sage was once one of the wealthiest men in the world. He was ruthless in business and was said to hate philanthropy, upper education, and women. When he passed away in 1906, his wife Olivia got even by giving away nearly every penny of his fortune to the causes that Sage despised. Historian Kathy Sheehan joins me to tell the true story of Russell Sage.
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In this episode: A man who claimed that he had eloped with another man’s wife because she had fed him a delicious piece of cake, a dead woman who sat up in her coffin just as the undertakers began to pour ice over her body, smog changes the color of a California man’s tie, and much more! Tim Harford of Cautionary Tales cohosts.
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In 1941, the Plainfield Teachers College football team was unstoppable. That was until a reporter exposed a shocking secret about the team and their storybook season was brought to a grinding halt.
Images, links, and transcripts: https://uselessinformation.org/the-rise-fall-of-the-celestial-comet-podcast-176/
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In this episode: A mystery man speaks an unknown language, a boy gets his head stuck in a toilet seat, a woman slips on a bar of soap and flies out the window, and much more! Madison Newton cohosts.
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Just what happens when your airplane crashes high up in the Himalayan mountains and there is no chance that anyone will ever find you? This happened to pilots Joe Rosbert and Ridge Hammell during World War II as they attempted to pilot a cargo plane over “The Hump.” It’s an amazing story of perseverance, survival, and a lot of luck.
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In this episode: The United States once banned the sale of sliced bread, the State of Oregon attempted to ban popcorn in movie theaters, women were using fly swatters to swat away their excess pounds, and much more! Matt Breen of The Explorers Podcast cohosts.
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We’re shaking things up today and sharing a preview from Car Show!, a new podcast from our friends at Pushkin Industries. Longtime Car and Driver editor Eddie Alterman tells the stories of the vital cars — the ones that have changed how we drive and live, whose significance lies outside the scope of horsepower or miles per gallon. In this episode, Eddie talks about the military background of the Jeep, a vehicle made for the battlefields of World War II, and its lasting popularity in America decades after the war. You can listen to the full episode and more from Car Show! at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/carshow?sid=useless.
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In 1915, American industrialist Henry Ford announced that he was willing to use his entire fortune to bring an end to World War I. So, he chartered a ship to take many of the prominent peace activists of the day to Europe and convene a peace conference to mediate an end to the European War. So, hop aboard the Peace Ship!
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Arbor Day is 150 years old! Learn the origins of the day, plus how one small upstate New York town continues the annual celebration.
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In this episode: A woman dumps her fiancé at the altar to marry the minister, a jealous husband who used rattlesnakes to keep men away from his wife, the unlikely suspects in a case of truck tire sabotage, and much more! Retrosponsor: Kraft Mayonnaise
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It’s hard to believe, but when the first words were spoken on radio, it was dismissed as a novelty. It seems as if everyone thought that Morse code was the future. Nearly everyone except for Reginald Fessenden.
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In 1953, paperboy Jimmy Bozart was counting his newspaper subscription money. He dropped the coins and one nickel split open, revealing a piece of microfilm. This led to the arrest of a high-ranking Soviet spy.
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In this episode: A live baby is auctioned off, a carnival knife thrower accidentally hits his human target, a West Virginian dog warden with an unusual approach to keeping thieves out of the pound, and much more!
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In 1936, superstar Eddie Cantor asked his radio listeners to write an essay describing how the United States could avoid war. The prize was a full college scholarship. With no set rules, something was certain to go wrong. And something did go very wrong.
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In this episode: A man falls out of a window and is saved by a flagpole, seven tonsillectomies done in an assembly line fashion, the last cigarette commercial on US network television, a baby born in a well, and much more! Retrosponsor: Dr. Caldwell’s Syrup Pepsin
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Edna Kirby spent more than a decade in Hollywood appearing in silent movies for Paramount Studios. While she never became a movie star, Edna drew large crowds in nearly every town that she visited. That’s because Edna Kirby lived in a glass house.
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In this episode, my wife Mary Jane joins me to review the classic movie "Sunset Boulevard." Directed by Billy Wilder, this movie tells the story of a struggling screenwriter who gets into a dangerous relationship with a faded Hollywood actress who dreams of a big comeback.
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Christmas episode! A reindeer that bit a boy’s finger, a lawsuit over the world’s largest Christmas stocking, an absent-minded Santa Claus, a Santa caught with his pants down, the first Christmas film ever made, and much more! Retrosponsor: Dole Pineapple Juice and Gems
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Tom McGee wanted nothing more for Christmas than to be able to spend time caring for his hogs. The only catch was that he needed to commit a crime and hope that a judge would sentence him to time on one of Georgia’s infamous chain gangs. A true story that took place in Atlanta from 1928 through 1930.
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In this episode: A proud father who kidnapped his newborn daughter, a mother jailed for cooking a woodpecker, Einstein gives a student incorrect math advice, a snake that joined a woman in the bathtub, a filmstrip projector demonstrated for the first time, and much more! Retrosponsor: Log Cabin Syrup.
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A New Jersey man was caught in a Catch-22 situation. As long as he remained on death row, he could live. If he attempted to get off of death row by challenging his sentence in court, he would likely die. Can you guess which option he chose? A true story that began in 1908.
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In this episode: The day corsets were arrested, a lingerie auction at the University of Nebraska, US Customs bans Alice Cooper’s panties, a woman hurt in a freak accident, a fish who milked a cow, woman entertains friends while husband robs their homes, a box of cookies that started a fire, a man who accidentally robbed a bank, & the highest-paid act at Woodstock. Retrosponsor: Sears advertisement for School’s Out by Alice Cooper.
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In 1911, Mrs. Minerva Miller and two friends went to The Paterson Show in Paterson, NJ to watch a movie. A standard ticket cost 5 cents, but Mrs. Miller was told that she would have to pay 25 cents because she was black. Minerva Miller decided to challenge the theater's racist policy.
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A 72-year-old woman who married a 20-year-old man, a 16-year-old girl arrested for cursing, a woman who had some run-ins with modern appliances, speaking English deforms the mouth, a husband who refused to buy his wife false teeth, a "Dammed Missouri" book that disappeared in a flood, and more! Retrosponsor: Rinso
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In 1941, 5-year-old Pamela Hollingworth disappeared into the dense forest of New Hampshire's White Mountains. In what became the largest search and rescue effort in New England to that date, more than 1,500 men spent more than a week looking for her. Was she murdered, kidnapped, or something else? Find out what really happened to Pamela Hollingworth.
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Retrocast #2: Boy runs away because he can·t master Latin, a mother who loaned her son to a stranger, a man who survived a Nazi firing squad, cows killed by lightning, man's leg broken three times, truth in business inboxes, 200 hog call records stolen, a helicopter melon thief, and more!
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In 1932, Redondo Beach school superintendent Elliott B. Thomas mysteriously disappeared and his office was ransacked. Was he kidnapped? Could he have been killed? Or was something else going on? Also, learn about a new chemical element called Administratium.
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Retrocast #1 - A 106-year-old woman seeks a husband, 5 phonograph records is admission to a dance, Australia gives the US an albino kangaroo, Johnny Cash promoting the Home Equipment Co., A country could be 49th US state, and more!
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In 1933, Helen Vasko was diagnosed with a malignant eye tumor that threatened her life. Her parents would not consent to surgery and the case ended up in court. It was a battle between parental vs. state rights and which side should have the ultimate deciding power. This fascinating story examines both sides of the case and the landmark ruling that was ultimately made.
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When Isabel McHie was pulled off of a train in Battle Creek, Michigan in 1935, she confirmed to the world that she truly was eccentric. It was a reputation that continued long after she died. Also, learn about a 1907 promotion that instructed housewives to wink at their grocer, a will written on a petticoat, another will penned on the rung of a ladder, and a woman of little means who left it all to the "dumb animals" that she cared so much for. Retrosponsor: Kellogg's Sugar Pops cereal.
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In this episode, my wife Mary Jane joins me to review the classic movie "The Hitch-Hiker." Directed by Ida Lupino, this movie was inspired by the crimes of mass murderer Billy Cook, which was told in podcast #148 titled "Badman Billy Cook."
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There's a killer on the road. The mostly forgotten true story of the manhunt for mass murderer Billy Cook in 1951. His crime spree was the inspiration for a verse in one of rock's most classic songs. Also learn about a teacher forced to resign because she had married, a doctor that kept his marriage a secret for 12 years, and a couple who secretly married to avoid all of the fuss. Retrosponsor: Tulsa Window and Door Company.
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In this episode, I make an important announcement about the future of the podcast.
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The diphtheria vaccine saved many lives until children started dying from it back in 1901. One could say that it was all the fault of a horse named Jim. Also, learn about the invention of spray paint cans, the time that Teddy Roosevelt declared war on banana peels, birth control leases, and a ticking tapioca time bomb. Retrosponsor: Manischewitz Matzos
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In 1919, Chicago doctor Justin L. Mitchell forcefully kissed nurse Mathilde Benkhardt without her permission. She challenged him in court and the outcome may have ruined him for the rest of his life. Also, learn about the original title of the song Midnight Train to Georgia, an attempt to double one's money by boiling it, two female clowns that crashed the circus ring, and a joke that involved a long-distance phone call. Retrosponsor: Here Comes Mr. Kitzel
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Diffusing a bomb, landing an airplane, selling your soul… very few people in the world need instructions on topics like these. Luckily Ari Cagan is here to talk to the experts in these limited fields and then teach you everything you’ll never need to know. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts!
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In this episode, my wife Mary Jane joins me to review the classic movie "The Best Years of Our Lives." Released in 1946, the movie won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Movie, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor.
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In 1930, Michael Filosa killed his half-brother Salvatore De Hall while he was sleep-walking. He also slashed his mother Anna De Hall and half-sister Catherine. Could he have really done such a thing? Also learn about the name of the famous final Jeopardy tune, Chrysler's Hi-Way Hi-Fi system, Goodyear's colorful translucent tires, and the Wrist-Twist Instant Steering system. Retrosponsor: Hormel Spam
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In Wondery’s newest series, Business Movers, host Lindsay Graham dives deep into the inner workings of some of the most successful companies of all time. From the origin stories of their famed leaders to the million dollar idea that catapulted them to success, how exactly did these companies grow from an idea and a dream to multi-billion dollar corporations? Hear the landmark decisions, the scandals, and the stunning triumphs that made them who they are. First up: Walt Disney. Listen at wondery.fm/uselessinfo_movers
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The heartwarming true story from the 1950s of a secret Santa and the generous Christmas gifts that he gave to Helen Arnold's family in Akron, Ohio. Also, learn about the real name for a Hanukkah menorah, a guy who received 4-tons of manure for Christmas, a Santa who got stuck in a chimney, and a Santa who was saved from a ticket by children. Retrosponsor: Duz laundry soap.
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Bette Cooper never dreamed of winning a beauty pageant and was shocked when she won the 1937 Miss America title. Within hours, Bette had disappeared. Where could she have gone? Also learn the history of the Miss America theme song, the youngest Miss America ever, about a beautiful legs contest held in Fort Worth, the World Posture Queen, and the Most Beautiful Ape in the World.
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Wondery’s newest podcast, Little Stories Everywhere, is the perfect immersive experience to share by the fireplace with loved ones this holiday season.
Each episode will be the reading of a children’s classic - some of the most magical stories ever told, now reimagined with enchanting sound design for families to enjoy together or adults to enjoy on their own.
Little Stories Everywhere is out now, premiering with A Merry Christmas, a collection of holiday tales by Louisa May Alcott that truly embody the holiday spirit, no matter what you celebrate.
Listen today: wondery.fm/uselessinfo_LSE
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Part 2 of this story discusses Richarda "Dikki" Morrow-Tait's trip from Alaska back to London in her 1938 effort to become the first woman to pilot an airplane around the world. Would she make it? Also learn about the world's largest building by volume, that it's legal to fly airplanes in Philadelphia on Sunday, a pilotless plane in Australia, and a submarine rodeo. Retrosponsor: TWA Airline.
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In 1938, Richarda "Dikki" Morrow-Tait set off from London in an attempt to become the first woman to pilot an airplane around the world. She encountered setback after setback. Would she make it? Part 1 of this story discusses her trip from London and eastward to Alaska. Also learn about the word circumnavigation record via commercial airlines, a 1912 prediction about the horseless age, an airplane golf match, and a man who stole a railroad in broad daylight. Retrosponsor: Halo Shampoo.
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In 1951, Hildy McCoy was born out of wedlock and her mother put her up for adoption. When she later learned that the new parents were Jewish, a six year long legal battle for the custody of Hildy McCoy had begun. Also, learn about the PLU numbers on produce, a supposed dead man who needed to revive his wife, an early long-distance learning failure, and a mother who told her son that an armed robber was the TV repairman. Retrosponsor: Kolynos Toothpaste
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After the Titanic sank, two brothers were orphaned after their dad perished. The search for a family member became an front page news worldwide.\\After the Titanic sank, two brothers became orphans after their dad perished. The search for a family member became an front page news worldwide. Also learn about the first non-mammal observed to experience, contagious yawning,
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In this special edition of the podcast, Chatham High School graduate Morgan Simmons interviews Sue Baer, president of the Baer Tax Group in Ghent, NY.
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In 1964, the newly established country of Zambia announced that it planned to be the first nation to place a man on the moon. An excellent story about a forgotten chapter in space exploration history. Also, learn about the only US President who spoke English as a second language, a snitch who offered to help locate Denver, Colorado speakeasies, a woman who thought that she had outsmarted a robber, and photocopier thieves who came back for the copy paper. Retrosponsor: Tootsie Roll candy.
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Just how young is too young to marry? This episode takes a look at the 1937 marriage between 9-year-old Eunice Winstead and 22-year-old Charlie Johns. Also, learn about the purpose of glassmaker's soap, a couple married atop the original Ferris wheel, a time when kissing was barred on Bavarian trains, and a man who twice tried to commit suicide by throwing himself under the wheels of moving cars. Retrosponsor: Dr. I. Q. Candy Bar
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In this special edition of the podcast, Chatham High School senior Eddie Tice interviews Senior QA Tester Trevor Farnsworth at Vicarious Visions, a game developer located in Albany, NY.
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In Part 2, we learn what happened to Jacques Lebaudy after his brief reign as an emperor came to an end. Let's just say that the story does not have a happy ending. Also, learn which country produces the most wool each year, mummified bones found in a home, a woman who was arrested for lying about her age while registering her automobiles, and two homes that were built on the wrong lots. Retrosponsor: Pine-scented Lysol.
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The crazy true story of a man who attempted to build an empire of his own in the Sahara. In Part 1, we look at Jacques Lebaudy's failed plan to create the empire and how the French military came to the rescue of Lebaudy's men. Also learn a bit about the history of Meals on Wheels and three different elixirs claimed to have been cures during the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. Retrosponsor: Pabst-ett cheese spread.
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Business Wars digs deep into some of the greatest corporate rivalries of all time. Think Facebook VS Snapchat or Nike VS Adidas. On each episode we give you an inside look at what inspired entrepreneurs to take risks that drove their companies to new heights -- or into the ground. In this season “Starbucks VS Dunkin”, they follow these two java giants in a war that started brewing in the 1950s and is now hotter than ever. Coffee is a 100 billion dollar plus global industry with these two duking it out at the top, but their battle is about more than coffee. For the full episode go to: wondery.fm/UselessInformationBW
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Sometimes a person can accomplish a great deal over the span of his or her lifetime but is forever defined by one thing that took just a brief moment while they were still young. Harry Morse was one of those men. Also learn about the first Beatles song banned by the BBC, someone who woke up beside a dead man, a wife whose first husband was found alive, and the Send-A-Dame chain letter. Retrosponsor: Feen-A-Mint Chewing Gum Laxative
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In 1978, Rodney Alcala won a date on the popular TV show, The Dating Game. What no one knew was that he was a prolific serial killer in the middle of a cross-country murder spree. In this six-part series, co-hosts Tracy Pattin (Hollywood & Crime) and Stephen Lang (Avatar, Don’t Breathe) take listeners on an unbelievable journey into Alcala’s twisting secret life. He hid behind normal jobs as a typesetter at a prominent newspaper and a summer camp counselor. How did this predatory monster fool employers, prison psychiatrists, and parole boards — all while committing heinous crimes from coast to coast? And how did a one-time appearance as a game show contestant help lead to his capture? From the makers of Dirty John, Dr. Death, and Young Charlie, learn the story of the most famous serial killer you’ve never heard of - The Dating Game Killer.Subscribe today: wondery.fm/uselessinfoDGK .
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In 1925, the parents and sisters of 9-year-old Evelyn Castle were killed after their car collided with a train. What came next for Evelyn was totally unexpected. It's a story that is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Also learn about the origins of the term blockbuster, the theft of 55 right-footed shoes, a woman who refused to be fooled twice, and a New Jersey girl who thought she was about to spend one=week with the Beatles. Retrosponsor: Old Spice Aftershave.
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The co-working company WeWork was the poster child for a new economy. It was born in New York City from the ashes of the Great Recession, WeWork’s founders wanted to change not just the way people work, but how they live, sleep, and even raise their children. Its charismatic founder Adam Neumann had an intoxicating vision for the company -- but did it ever match the reality? Hosted by David Brown of Wondery’s hit podcast Business Wars, WeCrashed is a six-part series about the rise and fall of WeWork. It’s a story of hope and hubris, and pulls back the curtain on the lengths certain people will go to chase “unicorns.” Listen now at Wondery.fm/wecrasheduseless
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The incredible story of how James Rufus Landis stole $160,000 in $20 bills from the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing on New Year's Eve of 1953. Also learn about the first ATM machine, a cork leg that saved a man from suicide, an elephant that went for a ride on a monorail, and a life-size statue of St. Anthony found on a NYC subway platform. Retrosponsor: Ken-L Ration dog food.
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On Christmas Eve of 1937, a man in Centerville, Indiana kidnapped a young boy and his babysitter. Minutes later, the boy's mother and the local grocer were taken prisoner by a second thug. A shootout between the bandit and the boy's father then followed. Find out how it all played out by listening to this great story. Also learn about the first Christmas song broadcast from space, a limit of wine for the Sabbath, a mysterious gift dropped via a parachute, and a family who received a Christmas card from an unknown family annually for seventeen years. Retrosponsor: Campbell's Soup.
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When miner James Kidd died in 1949, no one could have imagined that it would take more than 21-years to settle his estate. That's because he had made a very unusual request in his will, one that would be nearly impossible to carry out. Also learn about the world's heaviest man, one man's amazing voyage to Mars, a will written on an eggshell, and another man who had distributed small amounts of money to 102 banks all around the world. Retrosponsor: The Spaghetti Store
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In 1933, a young man was walking through a busy train station in India when he was pricked in the arm by a man walking in the opposite direction. He would soon be dead and the shocking truth as to how and who murdered him was revealed. Also, learn when the sale of color televisions exceeded those of black and white, a man who invented a polarizing material, a man sentenced to prison time for writing fiction, and a mysterious body that washed up on a Chicago shore. Retrosponsor: Minit-Rub
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For most of his life, Jeffrey Epstein was a mystery-- who he was, how he made his money, and how he got away with horrific crimes for so many years. The Mysterious Mr. Epstein explores how Epstein was able to use his wealth to buy status and credibility, to buy power, and ultimately to buy himself freedom from justice. From the network that brought you Dirty John. Listen now at Wondery.fm/uselessinfo
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In 1933, a medical doctor and a chiropractic doctor were found severely injured a short distance from one another. The two had never met before, but their lives had somehow violently crossed on that fateful day. Also, learn about artist Bob Ross' original canvases, a milk bottle shortage, men who were in the frigid water too long, and a bookstore that gave 50,000 books away for free. Retrosponsor: Old Dutch Cleanser
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An offbeat story from 1966 about a woman requested that a taxicab drive her all the way from Toledo, Ohio to San Francisco, CA. An airplane or train ride would have been both faster and cheaper, yet she insisted on the cab. Also learn how many different shows have been named The Betty White Show, cheap German suits that became available in Great Britain, a man who invented pasties for his wife, and a ban on spike heels in Mobile, Alabama. Retrosponsor: Wheatena Cereal
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A fun story from 1964 in which Brooklyn neighbors Sam Gutwirth and Sam Scheir ended up in court due to Scheir's loud snoring. Also learn about the first bike path in the United States, a building filled with popcorn that spontaneously popped, a woman who swallowed a mouse, and two girls who were trapped in a phone booth together. Retrosponsor: Freezone Corn Remover
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A fantastic story about a Navy pilot who was blinded during a bombing run over North Korea in 1952 and the attempt by another pilot to land him safely. Would he make it? Listen to find out. Also learn about the first network television show to have an episode broadcast in color, the first to successfully pilot an airplane across the Pacific, a man who accidentally landed his airplane on a moving car, and drivers who drove through a man's backyard as a shortcut to get to work. Retrosponsor: Dari-Rich Chocolate Flavored Drink
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Live presentation of one of my favorite stories of all time. Back in 1933, more than thirty attempts were made on the life of a drunk named Michael Malloy. Sounds like fiction, but is totally true.
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Part 2 of my interview with cartoonist Leigh Rubin during which we discuss how he got into cartooning and went on to become a successful syndicated cartoonist.
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Natalie and Stan Rubin were the first Jewish couple ever married on national TV, but it almost never happened. Hear clips from the television show and an interview with their son "Rubes" cartoonist Leigh Rubin. Also learn about the first toilet ever flushed on-screen in a mainstream movie. Retrosponsor: Hudson Paper Napkins
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Introducing the podcast Espionage on the Parcast network. Espionage tells the stories of the world's most incredible undercover missions and how these covert operations succeeded...or failed. Subscribe to Espionage at parcast.com/espionage.
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It's April 1st and the Great Podcast Switcheroo is happening! It's where a number of podcasts have switched hosts for the day. Today we have an episode of the Historical Blindness podcast titled The Camden Wonder, which is one of the most unusual murder cases of all time. Well worth a listen!
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Chatham High School student Van Oles interviews his grandfather, retired pharmacist Ronald McLean. It's the wonderful story of a man who started his career as a soda jerk in a pharmacy and ultimately made his way to be appointed as the Interim Dean at the Albany College of Pharmacy.
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Back in 1952, Jesse Garrett had recently divorced and was in search of a new wife. He seemed like a catch and thousands of women contacted him to let them know that they were interested. What seemed like a good idea at the time ended up financially ruining Jesse Garrett. Also learn about the first product name to be ruled generic, a man who failed to show up as scheduled for his wedding, a woman who slept with the wrong man, and a guy who drove motorscooter from Kentucky to Santiago, Chile to meet up with a girl. Retrosponsor: Coco-Wheats cereal
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Part 2 of my interview with John Murphy. Here we discuss John's involvement with inventor Dean Kamen (of the Segway fame) and their work to establish the FIRST Robotics competition that now involves tens of thousands of students worldwide.
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The parents of 21-year-old Linda Marie Ault were in a panic when their daughter didn't return home after attending a Friday night dance. They searched everywhere for her, but were unsuccessful. When Linda returned home the next morning, her parents were furious with what she had done and came up with a punishment that they thought would teach her a valuable lesson. Everything went horribly wrong. Also, learn about the first 9-1-1 call, a dog that had been choked by a piece of fishing line, a toothless dog accused of biting a man, and a dog that had his own charge account at the local grocery store. Retrosponsor: Noxzema
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Bonus episode is an interview with John Murphy. His dad was a member of the Salem Trade School, which was the subject of Useless Information Podcast #90 in January 2016.
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Fun story from the 1940's about a man named Harry H. Heim who converted a defunct mill town into the ultimate Christmas wonderland. Also, learn about the most performed Christmas song, a girl who became very ill after an older student told her that Santa Claus didn't exist, a person who mailed 50 empty Christmas envelopes, and what happened when Denny;s decided to close their restaurants for the first time ever on Christmas day. Retrosponsor: Coronet Magazine.
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In 1957, three Chicago aluminum awning salesmen decided to quit the jobs and sail to Africa to join in on the lucrative illegal diamond trade. They were in for a wild ride along with a very big surprise waiting for them at the end. Also learn about Thomas "Tough Tommy" Holden, Three critical reviews of popular musical acts from the 1970's are featured: Carole King, The Carpenters, and an incredibly brutal review of the rock group Heart. Retrosponsor: Fleischmann's Yeast
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Long forgotten headline story about a family who lost everything in the Great Kansas flood of 1951. Yet, all was not as it seemed... Also learn about what a Lucy Stoner is, a man who used handcuffs to hitchhike, twins who were hitchhiking around the world, and a father and son who were reunited through hitchhiking. Retrosponsor: Mahdeen Shampoo.
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