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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the Web Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

1885: The Cake Bewitched Him (Footnote)

Published on August 8, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History, Love & Marriage

A man elopes with another man's wife and is arrested. He blames it on her delicious cake!

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1922 – Dead Woman Sits Up in Coffin

Published on August 4, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Death and Murder, Tidbits

Everyone was certain that Rebacca Senst had died. That was until she sat up in her coffin...

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1950 – Dogs Shoot Owners (Footnote)

Published on July 29, 2022

Posted in: Animals & Pets, Bizarre & Oddities, Footnotes to History

It's rare that a dog shoots its owner. Yet, it happened twice in one month in Olney, Texas.

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The Rise & Fall of the Celestial Comet – Podcast #176

Published on July 19, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Hoaxes, Podcast, Sports

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.

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1957 – Ottawa Newspaper Finds Pet Parakeet

Published on July 18, 2022

Posted in: Animals & Pets, Bizarre & Oddities, Tidbits

When Mrs. Ann Recoskie lost her pet parakeet Joey, she called the Ottawa Journal to place a Lost Pet ad. They had some good news for her.

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1925 – Mystery Man Speaks an Unknown Language

Published on July 5, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Tidbits

A man showed up in Cape Charles, VA speaking a language that no one could understand. Immigration officials came up with a novel way to find someone who could speak to him.

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Footnote – 1937: Fall on Ice Starts Blaze in His Pants

Published on June 17, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Footnotes to History, Humor

Joseph Trainor fell on the ice and his pants caught on fire. Yet, he did not have a single match on him...

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Footnote – 1935: Cake Still Good After 35 Years

Published on June 10, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Love & Marriage, Tidbits

Would you eat a 35-year-old piece of wedding cake? Frederika Weber did just that it was surprisingly still good.

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1943 – Sliced Bread Banned by the United States

Published on June 6, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Tidbits

The U.S. government banned bakeries from slicing bread during WWII. Let's just say that things did not go as planned...

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Footnote – 1927: Fly Swatter Used To Lose Weight

Published on June 3, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

Springfield, MA was experiencing a big run on fly swatters because women were using them to swat away their excess weight.

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1931: Mistaken Identity Finally Ends

Published on April 19, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Tidbits

The story of two women who lived on the same street, attended the same high school, and had similar names that were pronounced identically.

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1930: Live Baby Auctioned Off

Published on March 1, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Hoaxes, Tidbits

Could a baby really be auctioned off? An ad by the Red Arrow Auctions claimed that they would be doing so at their next auction. Was there a catch?

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Dying Navy Officer’s Wish Fulfilled

Published on January 11, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Tidbits

While Lieutenant Nathaniel M. Dial was dying, he asked that his class ring be given to his son. The ring was then lost. Years later, it was found.

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Sucked into Jet Engine

Published on January 4, 2022

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Escape and Survival, Tidbits

Can you imagine getting sucked into a jet engine? That happened to Al Richards in 1951 and he survived!

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Retrograph – 1961: Harry Crosby

Published on November 17, 2021

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities

Colorized image of Harry Crosby in the the signal cabin in Sallins, County Kildare, Ireland.

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