Useless Information Podcast

Back in 1957, Leona Gage had beauty, charm, and a crown—until scandal snatched it away. Just what had she done wrong? Discover the whirlwind rise and dramatic fall of the beauty queen who became an overnight sensation. Video of Leona on the Ed Sullivan Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyUZaZtit_o Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/miss-usa-for-a-day-podcast-227/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man is forced to pay for the burial of a porcupine, a stowaway who hid inside of someone’s coffin, a cactus buried under concrete for 45 years, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-28-podcast-226/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Winston Churchill was crossing Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in 1931, he was hit by a car and thrown down to the pavement. Unable to move his fingers and toes, Churchill believed that he was paralyzed. Listen to this story to find out exactly what happened, the severity of Churchill’s injuries, and what consequences the driver of that car faced. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/winston-churchill-gets-run-over/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An exploration of advice columns and their evolution over time. How have the questions and responses shifted over the past century? Some of the answers are bound to make you laugh. Affiliate link for elevenlabs.io, which was used for the AI-generated voices in this episode: https://elevenlabs.io/?from=partnerray4138 Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/dubious-advice-2-podcast-224/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Truck driver Eugene Wood hid a big secret from his friends and family. No one suspected anything. That was until he was killed in a traffic accident and a judge in Troy, NY uncovered the truth. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/lies-in-the-fast-lane-podcast-223/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

True fish stories, a newsreel photographer goes on an unexpected flight, a young girl attempts to visit Honolulu, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-27-podcast-222/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of the Useless Information Podcast is sponsored by/brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/INFORMATIONPOD and get on your way to being your best self. The incredible true story of an 18-foot, 150-pound python who escaped from the Fort Worth Zoo back in 1954. But instead of causing widespread fear, this serpent slithered his way into the hearts of people worldwide. WBAP-TV coverage of Pete the Python (videos and transcripts): https://digital.library.unt.edu/search/?q=pete+the+python Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/pete-the-python-podcast-221/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever wondered why the United States government is called Uncle Sam? This nickname originates from Uncle Samuel Wilson, who provided beef and pork to the troops during the War of 1812. Join the City of Troy and Rensselaer County, New York historian Kathy Sheehan as she takes us on a tour of Uncle Sam's life.  Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/uncle-sam-podcast-220 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November 1949, Aurora, Illinois found itself with an unusual mystery on its hands. An unidentified benefactor lavishly distributed substantial sums of money to individuals, charities, and the local high school. Adjusted for inflation, the philanthropist bestowed millions within a mere span of weeks. The burning question: Who was this mysterious figure and what motivated such a profound act of generosity? Listen to this episode to find out! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/mr-benefactor-podcast-219 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man is arrested for stealing his own money, a barn is stolen while a farmer sleeps, a Harvard graduate who lost his memory, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-26-podcast-218/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1945, police were astounded to discover a man affixed to a wooden cross, hastily fastened to the beams supporting Chicago’s elevated railway. His assailants were never identified, but the victim repeatedly brought up the name of Dr. Emil Bronner. It's worth noting that this is the very same Dr. Bronner who later pioneered the widely acclaimed castile soap that carries his name. This story will help explain the quirky messages on their soap bottles. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/a-crucifixion-in-chicago-podcast-217 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An alligator is found in a California swamp, male toll collectors oppose the hiring of women, a mummified man inspires a Don McLean song, a chewing gum party, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-25-podcast-216/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1933, New York City police had a very unusual mystery on their hands. Two people died of nearly identical causes within an hour of one another at an Automat restaurant in Manhattan. Strangers to each other, the sole connecting thread between them was a poppy seed roll. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-strange-case-of-the-poppy-seed-roll-podcast-215/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our modern world is dependent on electricity. But did you ever stop to wonder where it all began? Guest Kathy Joseph, author of the book The Lightning Tamers and host of the popular YouTube channel Kathy Loves Physics, joins me to talk about some of these amazing stories. Video of this interview: https://uselessinformation.org/the-lightning-tamers-podcast-214/ Purchase The Lightning Tamers by Kathy Joseph at https://shorturl.at/cwzKS Kathy Loves Physics & History on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Weirdly_wonderful Kathy Joseph’s website: https://kathylovesphysics.com/ Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-lightning-tamers-podcast-214/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad

Back in 1937, Harold Hulen was madly in love with Florence Hurlbut. He desperately wanted to marry her, but every time he asked, she turned him down. After a couple of years of constant rejection, Harold came up with an outrageous way to get her attention. Soon their story would be told in newspapers and on the radio from coast-to-coast. Affiliate link for elevenlabs.io: https://elevenlabs.io/?from=partnerray4138 Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-radiator-romeo-podcast-213/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bruce Carlson of My History Can Beat Up Your Politics cohosts! A man survives going over Niagara, only to later die after slipping on an orange peel; a family is told they can only take one bath per week; a woman catches a trout with a fly swatter, Beatles hair is clogging up swimming pools, and much more! You can find Bruce Carlson’s podcast here: https://myhistorycanbeatupyourpolitics.com/ Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-24-podcast-212/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1950, the Hecht department store chain unveiled plans for constructing a massive new store in Arlington, Virginia. However, their ambitious project faced a formidable obstacle in the form of an 82-year-old preacher. This elderly man insisted on selling his property to the company only if they agreed to pay an exorbitant sum. The question remained: who would emerge victorious in this standoff? Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-poor-rich-man-podcast-211/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: A look at letters to Santa through the years, a judge who sentences two men to get a boy his Christmas gifts, Santa’s pants fall down, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/christmas-retrocast-podcast-210 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The heartwarming story of "Uncle Dan" Vinson, a man who dedicated much of his life to ensuring that Christmas became a truly special occasion for children all around the world. In his workshop, his helpers tirelessly worked throughout the year, diligently fixing misfit toys and crafting new ones. Somehow millions of those gifts would find their way to where they needed to go. He derived immense joy simply from the knowledge that countless children would have presents to unwrap on Christmas Day. Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/the-beardless-santa-podcast-209/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode: A hippopotamus is on the loose in Detroit, a skydiver in freefall grabs a parachute from another skydiver, Chicago steaks are really horse meat, a boy’s crib is struck by lightning, and much more! Images, links, and transcripts for this podcast can be found at https://uselessinformation.org/retrocast-22-podcast-208/ 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices