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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the Web Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

Christmas Retrocast – Podcast #187

Published on December 20, 2022

Posted in: Footnotes to History, Holidays & Celebrations, Podcast, Retrocasts

A special holiday Retrocast featuring 10 true stories from Christmas past, plus a holiday song recorded in 1913.

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1949 – Boy Wishes for Stone for Mother’s Grave (Footnote)

Published on December 20, 2022

Posted in: Death and Murder, Footnotes to History, Holidays & Celebrations

All 11-year-old Bobby Lovell wanted for Christmas was a stone for his mother's grave. Would his wish come true?

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1947 – Gift Wrapper Raps in Vain (Footnote)

Published on December 19, 2022

Posted in: Escape and Survival, Footnotes to History, Holidays & Celebrations

Joe Gibson was so focused on his job of wrapping gifts that he lost track of time and was locked in a warehouse. With some rags, string, and wire, he worked toward escaping...

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1961 – A Stewed Duck Is Too Saucy to Suit Cops (Footnote)

Published on August 29, 2022

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

Two policemen set out to capture a drunk duck. It wasn't as easy as they had hoped...

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1954 – Roscoe Goes to Calaboose to Escape TV at Home (Footnote)

Published on August 25, 2022

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Footnotes to History

Roscoe Tard was so sick of his wife watching television that he opted to spend five days in jail.

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1948 – New Pill Bans That Fear of Trip to Dentist (Footnote)

Published on August 22, 2022

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

Drs. Milton Levine and Robert Hoyt introduced a pill that would take the fear out of going to the dentist. It probably wasn't as safe as they originally thought.

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1926 – Fire Company Called To Put Out a Sunset (Footnote)

Published on August 17, 2022

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

Firemen in Tulsa, Oklahoma were called out on an emergency call. The supposed fire was really the sunset.

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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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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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1949 – Little Boy Finds Toilet Seat Not Quite His Size (Footnote)

Published on July 25, 2022

Posted in: Footnotes to History, Humor

Phillip Burrows decided to try his junior toilet seat on for size. He slipped his head through the opening and then got stuck.

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1946 – Baby Delivered Between Floors (Footnote)

Published on July 22, 2022

Posted in: Footnotes to History, Love & Marriage

No one ever wants to get stuck in an elevator, especially while giving birth. That happened to a Chattanooga woman...

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1934 – Skids Out Window on Soap, Falls Into Sand (Footnote)

Published on July 13, 2022

Posted in: Escape and Survival, Footnotes to History

It really is possible to slip on a bar of soap. And Mrs. Beulah Hopkins went right out the window after doing so.

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1926 – Falls 50 Feet, Only Suffers Bruises (Footnote)

Published on July 8, 2022

Posted in: Escape and Survival, Footnotes to History

16-year-old William Lyle fell into the Niagara Gorge. He was lucky to be alive.

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Footnote – 1956: Driver Grabs At Bird, Hits New Police Car

Published on June 27, 2022

Posted in: Footnotes to History, Law & Order

A parakeet was blamed for a car accident that destroyed a brand-new police car.

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Footnote – 1947: Doctor Wins Bet but Client Dies After Paying Off

Published on June 24, 2022

Posted in: Death and Murder, Footnotes to History

Imagine losing a bet with a doctor and then dropping dead minutes after settling the bet. That happened to Allan Sharp.

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