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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the Web Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

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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Man Sells Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans (1937)

Published on April 25, 2023

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

Arthur Dean Lindsay not only sold the oceans, but he also claimed ownership of everything in the sky above him. And he had the legal documents to prove it.

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Rocks Taste Good to Girl (1958)

Published on April 14, 2023

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

A ten-year-old girl was taken to the hospital because she had pneumonia. Doctors soon learned that she had swallowed 200 rocks.

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1927: Every Kiss Takes 3 Minutes From Lovers’ Life Span (Footnote)

Published on February 17, 2023

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

Can kissing really shorten one's life? That's what students at Western State College concluded.

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1962: Come On, Baby, Don’t Do the Twist! (Footnote)

Published on February 9, 2023

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

The American Medical Association warned that anyone who was over 40 should avoid doing the Twist, the latest dance craze.

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1950 – Dentist Pulls Tooth, Patient Jumps Out Window (Footnote)

Published on January 31, 2023

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

James Wheatley had his tooth pulled and had a strange reaction to the anesthesia: he jumped out the window!

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1938 – Fishing Trip Accidents Send Family to Hospital (Footnote)

Published on January 21, 2023

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

The Mowrar family should have never gone fishing. All went home with significant injuries to their right hands or arms.

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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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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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Footnote – 1949: 14 Tonsils Taken In Family Surgery

Published on February 22, 2022

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

Mr. & Mrs. Lester Backer decided to have the tonsils removed from all seven of their children at the same time...

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Becomes Doctor after 45 Years

Published on January 7, 2022

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

They say it's never too late to pursue one's dreams. Find out why it took August S. Claus so long to get his medical degree.

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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 – 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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5 Records for Admittance to Dance

Published on July 21, 2021

Posted in: Forgotten History, Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

A dance being held at the Urban Room in the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh had an unusual admittance price: 5 phonograph records.

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Footnote – 1933: Surgeons Take Table Fork from Girl’s Stomach

Published on July 14, 2021

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

It seems nearly impossible but a girl in 1933 swallowed a full-size table fork. Surgery would be needed...

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