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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the WWW Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

Stowaway Hides in Coffin (1902)

Published on October 4, 2024

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

A stowaway aboard the Oscar II found what he thought was the perfect place to hide: inside of another man's coffin.

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Chest Hair Falsies (1959)

Published on September 24, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Fashion & Design, Tidbits

The crazy true story of a company that was marketing fake chest hair for men. Was this intended as a joke or was it a real product?

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Blind Man Drives Car (1958)

Published on July 1, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Law & Order, Tidbits, Unbelievable

An officer observed a vehicle weaving along the road, which often suggests intoxication. However, in this instance, the driver was not under the influence; rather, he was legally blind.

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Blind Man Lets Young Brother Steer (1949)

Published on June 28, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Tidbits, Unbelievable

A legally blind man let his 11-year-old brother steer their truck. It was a disaster waiting to happen...

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RetroRewind – 1953: The Baby Cage

Published on June 13, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, RetroRewind Videos

Video of baby Sallie Morris and her older brother Paul seated in a cage protruding from their family's apartment window, suspended over the bustling street below.

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A Crucifixion in Chicago – Podcast #217

Published on April 24, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Hoaxes, Podcast

Popular episode! In 1945, police were astounded to discover a man affixed to a wooden cross, hastily fastened to the beams supporting Chicago’s elevated railway. This unusual story involves Dr. Emil Bronner, who created Dr. Bronner's soaps.

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Andrew McCrew, the Mummified Man (1973)

Published on April 19, 2024

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

Elgie Pace had kept the body of a mummified man in the basement of her home for 5 years. She couldn't afford to give him a proper burial. This story was the inspiration for Don McLean's song "The Legend of Andrew McCrew."

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Battle of the Baths (1949)

Published on January 31, 2024

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Law & Order, Tidbits

In 1949, a Kentucky family was threatened with eviction because they were taking too many baths. Would they win in court?

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Survives Niagara Plunge, Dies After Slipping on An Orange Peel (1926)

Published on January 4, 2024

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

Bobby Leach was the first man ever to successfully go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, only to die after slipping on an orange peel.

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Leonardo de Toenail (1980)

Published on September 28, 2023

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Tidbits

The unusual true story of a man who snuck under library tables to paint women's toenails with nail polish.

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1959: Baby Slides Down Coal Chute and Falls Into River (Footnote)

Published on July 14, 2023

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Escape and Survival, Footnotes to History

A boy slides down a coal shoot and then ends up in the river. It was the ride of a lifetime!

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1938: Deer Stabs Man and Evens Score (Footnote)

Published on July 12, 2023

Posted in: Animals & Pets, Bizarre & Oddities, Escape and Survival, Footnotes to History, Tidbits

Albert Christianson was out hunting near his home and shot a buck. Next thing you know, a deer stabbed him with a knife...

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He Was Born Somewhere… (1903)

Published on June 23, 2023

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Law & Order, Tidbits

When one is born while on a trip from one place to another, what does one place on their birth certificate. Harry Mowrar had such a problem.

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1949: Nose Knows A Good Thing (Footnote)

Published on May 10, 2023

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Footnotes to History, Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

John D. Bidegain lost his nose and was challenged by a manager to make a new one. And that was exactly what he did.

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1922: Bluff Called, May Have to Devour a Million Peas (Footnote)

Published on April 23, 2023

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

A bet was made and the loser would have to eat 1,000,000 peas. Just how much space does a million peas take up?

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