Useless Information Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Dumpy the Dog - UI Podcast #035 Jul 09, 2010

Show notes

For a while, it seemed like Dumpy the Dog could survive just about anything, but a puppyhood illness came back to haunt him. Be sure to check out this incredible true story.

Also, learn about a common kitchen product invented by Thomas Edison, a woman who was knocked unconscious while her hair was chopped off, a bargain marriage deal in Fitzgerald, Georgia, and a woman who taught her class in her birthday suit.

Retrosponsor: Aunt Jemima.

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Death by Exploding Playing Cards - UI Podcast #034 Jun 07, 2010

Show notes

William Kogut decided to end his life using a deck of ordinary playing cards. That may seem impossible, so listen to this true story from 1930 to learn exactly how he did it.

Also find out which popular hairstyle was started by a woman named Barbara Terry, a doctor who dropped dead during surgery, the parking meter mystery, and why you should never request the personalized "NO PLATE" license plate.

Retrosponsor: Energine Shoe White.

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The Little Widow of Herald Square - UI Podcast #033 May 05, 2010

Show notes

Ida Mayfield Wood lived as a recluse in the Herald Square Hotel in NYC for 24 years. When she died, 1,103 people claimed to be the heir to her fortune. Eight years later not a single one of them got a penny. Listen to this great story to find out who did.

Also, find out where the geographic center of the United States is located, the guy who married his mother-in-law, the 200 bees that brought the post office to a halt, and a lucky goldfish who survived an earthquake.

Retrosponsor: Teel Liquid Dentifice.

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The Sterilization of Ann Cooper Hewitt - UI Podcast #032 Apr 06, 2010

Show notes

Wealthy Ann Cooper Hewitt was sterilized at age 20 by her mother and two doctors, yet did not know that the procedure was being done. Find out how they tricked her into the surgery.

Also, learn about the ten-letter word that your QWERTY keyboard intentionally spells, the guy who blasted out his left cheek while smoking a pipe, a convict who complained to an officer that his wife had run off with another man, and several boys who became trapped in a railroad water tank.

Retrosponsor: DeSoto automobiles.

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The Phantom Sniper - UI Podcast #031 Mar 03, 2010

Show notes

The Phantom Sniper terrorized women in the Los Angeles area in the early 1950s. He was captured because of one minor mistake that most people would have easily overlooked.

Also find out the number of minutes spent playing football in an NFL football game, the fantastic world of Venus, the FBI diaper problem, and J. Paul Getty's pay phone.

Retrosponsor: Duz Laundry Soap.

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The Strange Kidnapping of Milly McGill - UI Podcast #030 Feb 01, 2010

Show notes

The long-forgotten story about the strange kidnapping of Milly McGill back in 1945. It is what happened after Milly was returned to her parents that is the oddest part of this true story.

Also learn what a Blue Moon really is, how a wooden leg saved a man's life, a boy that could not pronounce the letter F, and a boy who drove to pick up his sweetie in his dad's car.

Retrosponsor: Postum Coffee Substitute.

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The 1913 Calumet Christmas Party Disaster - UI Podcast #029 Nov 24, 2009

Show notes

A Christmas Eve celebration for the children of Calumet, Michigan turned into a death trap. Listen to find out the details of this tragic story.

Also learn about Mary Anderson's invention, a Christmas watermelon miracle, Chinese Christmas cards, and IBM computer punch card wreaths.

Retrosponsor: Ex-Lax.

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The Cranberry Crisis of 1959 - UI Podcast #028 Nov 23, 2009

Show notes

Can you imagine Thanksgiving without cranberries? That happened in 1959 when cooks across America tossed out all of their cranberry products.

Learn about the Interrobang!? punctuation mark, a 7-story elevator plunge, an unlucky winning poker player, and a strange sequence of Friday the 13th events.

Retrosponsor: Edsel Automobiles by Ford

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The Great Elephant Caper - UI Podcast #027 Oct 30, 2009

Show notes

Eleven circus elephants died from arsenic poisoning within a one-week period. The search for the murderer was on...

Also, learn about 1936's best student essay on peace, the 12-year-old who shot his principal, and the mob that went wild when the police canceled a men's club show. In addition, find out where Adolf Hitler was originally from.

Retrosponsor: Clipper Craft clothes.

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You've Got the Wrong Men - UI Podcast #026 Oct 01, 2009

Show notes

One of the best stories ever covered on this podcast. It's the story of two men placed on trial for murder and were saved from almost certain death by an event that occurred many miles away.

Also learn about two boys that were run over by a locomotive, a fortune hidden in a wall, an escaped tiger, and who the fourth Rice Krispies elf was.

Retrosponsor: Grape Nuts

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