Useless Information Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Fly Paper Murderess - UI Podcast #045 Jun 16, 2011

Show notes

Six men died in a Chicago woman's home over three years. Further investigation showed that 47-year-old Margaret Summers had been married six times and all were dead. She had taken out nineteen life insurance policies, all naming her as the sole beneficiary. Summers claimed innocence, but the police thought otherwise.

Also, find out when the first permanent photograph was taken and three different stories of lost cyanide.

Retrosponsor: Tintex fabric dye.

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The Man Buried Alive - UI Podcast #044 May 04, 2011

Show notes

Jack Loreen emerged from his subterranean slumber on August 21, 1933, having endured 64 days confined to a coffin. Little did he know, this was merely the kickoff to an eccentric contest of endurance, with participants vying to outlast each other buried underground.

Also, find out which breakfast cereal is the most popular, where a New Jersey woman found her stolen watch, why Brownie the cow was not producing enough milk, and the unique way a hit-and-run driver was caught.

Retrosponsor: Fleischmann's Fresh Yeast.

https://uselessinformation.org/the-man-buried-alive-podcast-44/

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Lyndon Johnson's Camel Driver - UI Podcast #043 Apr 14, 2011

Show notes

On May 20, 1961, then-US Vice President Lyndon Johnson was on a goodwill tour of Asia. While pressing the flesh in Karachi, Pakistan, Johnson had a casual conversation with a camel driver named Bashir Ahmad. The next thing you know, Bashir was on his way to the United States in the feel-good news story of 1961.

Also, find out what everyday product Hyman Lipman invented, the Florida councilman frightened by a snake, the New York Aquarium's April Fool problem, and Smell-o-vision.

Retrosponsor: Squibb Dental Creme.

https://uselessinformation.org/lyndon-johnsons-camel-driver-podcast-43/

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Noach Goldberg's Wooden Leg - UI Podcast #042 Mar 16, 2011

Show notes

Frank Laiken skipped town to avoid paying alimony in 1928 and was never seen again. His ex-wife Rose learned of a man named Noach (Noah) Goldberg who had died in Vienna. She was certain that Noah was her husband's alias. His wooden leg was all that was needed to make the connection.

Also, learn which Crayola crayon color was changed in 1962, a fake mutiny, the drunken elephant rampage, and a sad death by a falling flower pot.

Retrosponsor: Hallmark Greeting Cards.

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Conrad Cantzen's Shoes - UI Podcast #041 Feb 12, 2011

Show notes

Conrad Cantzen died in 1945 and is long forgotten, but his shoe fund still lives on. Listen to the story of this bizarre provision in this down-on-his-luck actor's handwritten will.

Also, learn which celebrity has earned a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in all five of its categories, the US Postal Service's 1908 Valentine problem, Andrew de Stefano's surprise telegram, and pretty Patsy Puckett's Jaguar mystery.

Retrosponsor: Colgate Tooth Powder.

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Coney Island's Baby Incubators - UI Podcast #040 Jan 10, 2011

Show notes

A premature baby born before the 1940s had little chance of survival unless the baby was lucky enough to be part of a popular sideshow exhibit at Coney Island.

Also, learn how the real Jack Daniel died, a man fined one cent for shooting a cow, a color-changing necktie, and a flea map of the United Kingdom that was nearly 60 years in the making.

Retrosponsor: Camel Cigarettes.

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Samuel Resnick Buys His Own Murder - UI Podcast #039 Dec 08, 2010

Show notes

Albany jeweler Samuel Resnick retired to Phoenix, Arizona, but something went wrong. He ended up paying to have himself murdered. Check out this episode to learn all the details of this oddball story.

Also, learn the original purpose of Formica brand plastic laminate, who owns the air above your head, the details of a costly Halloween egg toss, and a boy who had a seed sprout in his eye.

Retrosponsor: Philco Radio Tubes.

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The Cardiff Giant - UI Podcast #038 Oct 26, 2010

Show notes

The 1869 discovery of this fossilized giant provided the first definitive proof that giants once did inhabit the Earth. Listen to find out the real facts in the story.

Also, find out which serial killer the Texas House of Representatives honored, a storage building destroyed by popping corn, a Denver woman who swallowed a mouse, and burglars who robbed an anchorman's house.

Retrosponsor: Shell Gasoline.

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The 34-Year Nightmare - UI Podcast #037 Sep 10, 2010

Show notes

Stephen Dennison was sent to prison for stealing $5.00 worth of chocolates back in 1926. He never committed another crime, yet he was still there in 1960. Listen to find out why this happened and how Steve ultimately gained his release.

Also find out which US President was once a male model, the urban parking problem of 1925, two German women who attempted to mail themselves to their boyfriends in the US, and that Richard Nixon was once the nation's best-dressed man.

Retrosponsor: Post Toasties.

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The Greatest Escape - UI Podcast #036 Aug 10, 2010

Show notes

Slavomir Rawich's escape from a Siberian prison camp is among the greatest stories of survival ever. So great that it seems totally unbelievable at times. Also learn which classic TV show began the title of each episode with "The Big", a motorist killed in a freak accident by a horse's hoof, a jet fuel cap that fell from the sky, and the day that the US Secretary of Labor ate his hat. Retrosponsor: The Granite Furniture Company.

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