Useless Information Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Escape in a Homemade Submarine - UI Podcast #025 Sep 02, 2009

Show notes

The fascinating true story of three Milwaukee men who started bombing Milwaukee Sears stores in an effort to obtain $100,000 and escape in their homemade submarine.

Also, learn what first the 1925 movie "The Lost World" accomplished, the parrot who committed suicide, death by seasickness, and a very unusual fishing catch.

Retrosponsor: Brylcreem.

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The Kidnapping of Caleb Milne IV - UI #024 Aug 06, 2009

Show notes

A long-forgotten story about the sensational kidnapping of Caleb Milne IV back in 1935.

Also, discover the first #1 on Billboard's album chart, fake radio messages from Europe, two men who died during a fake bank robbery, and the $100 front-page publicity stunt.

Retrosponsor: Sal Hepatica laxative.

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The Day the US Dropped 4 H-Bombs on Spain - UI #023 Jul 12, 2009

Show notes

The residents of Palomares in Spain are still dealing with the effects of the four hydrogen bombs accidentally dropped on this small fishing village back in 1966.

Also, learn about Norman Brinker's important contribution to the restaurant industry, the nude newsboy, a postal clerk lost at sea, and an award that was better late than never by 40 years.

Retrosponsor: Klean Soap.

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The Fake Epidemic - UI Podcast #022 Jun 11, 2009

Show notes

The incredible true story of two Polish doctors who used the microbe Proteus OX19 to create a pseudo typhus epidemic, which saved the lives of over 8,000 people.

Also, learn which US president was first to appear on a circulating coin, the "doctor" who convinced women in NYC to disrobe before robbing them, the ashman who inherited a fortune, and two brothers who tried to teach in the same religious school.

Retrosponsor: Milk of Magnesia Facial Cremes.

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The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson - UI #021 May 07, 2009

Show notes

Jackie Robinson is best remembered for being the first African American to play for one of the Major League Baseball teams, but his 1944 court-martial for his refusal to "go to the back of the bus" nearly derailed his career.

Also find out about the first UPC barcode, a trained squirrel, the world's longest beard, and twins marrying twins.

Retrosponsor: Listen to the first singing radio commercial - one that saved Wheaties from extinction.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

US Army Bicycle Corps - UI Podcast #020 Mar 30, 2009

Show notes

Hard to believe, but the United States Army once had a bicycle corps.

Also learn how a notched wedding ring was used to denote divorce, a giant whale that made a 3,000-mile journey across the US, plumbers who used an alligator to unplug pipe, and Rhodes scholars.

Retrosponsor: Swan Soap

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The Radium Girls - UI Podcast #019 Mar 04, 2009

Show notes

When the radioactive element radium was discovered, it quickly found its way into many products. One of those was glow-in-the-dark watch and clock faces, which were painted by women who licked their paintbrushes to keep them pointed. This was a deadly mistake.

Also, learn about the demonstration of a 150,000-volt electric chair, Charles Hawker and his high-voltage electric chair, the electrifying sermon of George Speake, and the largest chain of retail stores.

Retrosponsor: Adam Hats

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Come Dancing with Henry Ford - UI Podcast #018 Sep 14, 2008

Show notes

Henry Ford is best remembered as the father of the Model T and the assembly line, but his efforts to get the American people dancing are nearly forgotten.

Also, learn about that small bump that appears around mosquito bites and a woman who bequeathed 24 quadrillion dollars to the poor.

Retrosponsor: The 1950 Ford.

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Extracting Gold from Seawater - UI Podcast #017 Aug 31, 2008

Show notes

The true story of the 1897 invention of the "accumulator" that was designed to extract gold from the world's oceans.

Also, find out about the significance of the death of Lt. Thomas Selfridge on September 17, 1908. Plus, learn about Campbell McCarthy's death row last meal request, Auguste Mosner's unique robbery technique, and a story from Bloomingburg, NY, where Francis Van Winkle sold his father's farm machinery.

Retrosponsor: Goodyear Lifeguard Tires

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The Flubber Fiasco - UI Podcast #016 Jul 20, 2008

Show notes

The unbelievable story of how to deal with the disposal of millions of pieces of the toy Flubber. It's the product that they just couldn't put down!

Also, find out about the origin of the name Bluetooth. Plus, learn that one-third of New York City's population is Jewish, a Brooklyn man who stared at women on the subway with binoculars, and how the Florence, Kansas post office sold $800 in stamps to keep its ranking.

Retrosponsor: Ting Pimple Cream

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