Footnotes to History Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Useless Information

Useless Information

Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the Web Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

Footnote – 1950: Teachers Demonstrate Film-Strip Projector

Published on December 28, 2021

Posted in: Footnotes to History

Hard-to-believe, but the filmstrip projector was once considered state-of-the-art technology for the classroom.

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Footnote – 1949: High Flying Car

Published on December 7, 2021

Posted in: Footnotes to History

In December of 1949, Raymond Boyle used the blade of a snowplow to take flight in his car.

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Footnote – 1967: Man Never Intended to Rob Bank

Published on November 12, 2021

Posted in: Footnotes to History

A January 19, 1967 article in the Indianapolis News describes how Richard Irving Clark inadvertently attempted to rob a Calgary bank.

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Footnote – 1949: Freak Fire

Published on November 9, 2021

Posted in: Footnotes to History

A story in the December 13, 1949 issue of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin describes how a box of cookies started a house fire.

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Footnote – 1938: Ceylon Man Claims Fish Milked Cow

Published on October 26, 2021

Posted in: Footnotes to History

Have you ever heard of a fish milking a cow? A Sandusky, Michigan man claims that it is true!

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Footnote – 1935: Phone Girl Hurt in Freak Auto Accident

Published on October 19, 2021

Posted in: Footnotes to History

In 1935, Josephine Morgan got out of her car and was knocked unconscious in a very unusual way.

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Footnote – 1952: Dammed Missouri Valley Book Disappears in Flood

Published on October 12, 2021

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

A patron was unable to return the book The Dammed Missouri Valley to his local library because the river had taken it away in a flood.

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Footnote – 1947: Lazy Man Makes Tough Job Simple

Published on October 8, 2021

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

Clarence E. Bleicher, president of the Chrysler Corp.'s De Soto division, told the US Senate's Labor Commission how he solves tough jobs at his plant.

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Footnote – 1936: Mother Has Leap Year Babies

Published on October 1, 2021

Posted in: Footnotes to History, Love & Marriage, Tidbits

In 1936, Mrs. Ralph E, Hansen gave birth to her second child born on leap day - February 29th.

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Footnote – 1928: Husband Refuses to Buy His Wife False Teeth

Published on September 24, 2021

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Footnotes to History, Law & Order, Love & Marriage, Tidbits

In 1928, Mathias Blau was in a Chicago courtroom because he had his wife's teeth pulled and refused to purchase dentures for her.

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Footnote – 1914: Speaking English Deforms the Mouth

Published on September 18, 2021

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

In 1914, Lord Ashbourne described to an audience how the speaking of English deformed the human jaw.

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Footnote – 1957: Helicopter Melon Thief

Published on September 12, 2021

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

In June 1957, a helicopter landed in a Brawley, California watermelon patch and stole three melons before taking off again.

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Footnote – 1952: 200 Hog Calling Records Stolen

Published on September 7, 2021

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

Just what would anyone do with 200 stolen hog calling phonograph records?

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Footnote – 1949: Just Tell It Like It Is

Published on September 7, 2021

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

A company in London decided to do away with desk trays labeled Incoming and Outgoing. Instead, they came up with trays with more realistic labels.

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Footnote – 1913: Leg Broken 3 Times in 3 Minutes

Published on August 24, 2021

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Footnotes to History

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! In 1913, Daniel Sullivan's leg was broken three times in three minutes.

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