A Blind Eye – Helen Vasco – Podcast #151 Published on June 28, 2021 Posted in: Forgotten History, Law & Order, Love & Marriage, Podcast, Science, Technology & Medicine In 1933, Helen Vasko was diagnosed with a malignant eye tumor that threatened her life. Her parents would not consent to surgery and the case ended up in court. Find out which side won this landmark case.Click to Read More...
Penned Will on Ladder Published on June 12, 2021 Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Death and Murder, Law & Order, Money & Financial, Tidbits Hermann Strathmann, of Los Angeles, wrote his will on a step-ladder shortly before he passed away. Eight other wills were found. Which would be the accepted one?Click to Read More...
Birth Control Leases Barred Published on April 10, 2021 Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Law & Order, Tidbits On April 20, 1946, New York State Governor Thomas E. Dewey signed into law a measure that forbid “birth control” leases.Click to Read More...
Theodore Roosevelt Declares War on the Banana Skin Published on April 2, 2021 Posted in: Law & Order, Tidbits In 1896, Teddy Roosevelt declared war on the slippery banana peels that were all over the streets of New York City.Click to Read More...
A Punishment That Went Horribly Wrong – Linda Marie Ault – Podcast #119 Published on February 7, 2019 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Death and Murder, Law & Order, Podcast The parents of Linda Marie Ault were in a panic when their daughter didn't return home after attending a dance. When she returned home the next morning, they came up with a punishment that would teach her a valuable lesson. Everything went horribly wrong.Click to Read More...
Dick the Dog – Podcast #111 Published on April 30, 2018 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Podcast Jacob Silverman made national headlines in 1922 for the crime of owning a dog named Dick. Pennsylvania's Alien Dog Law forbid unnaturalized residents from owning dogs and required the dogs be killed.Click to Read More...
Le Mars Trilogy: Part 2 – Farmers in Revolt – Podcast #104 Published on July 7, 2017 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Podcast The Great Depression was an awful time for farmers in Iowa, culminating with the near-hanging of Judge Bradley in Le Mars over a farm owned by T.M. Zink.Click to Read More...
Waiter Drugs Non-Tipper Published on June 30, 2017 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Tidbits In 1964 waiter Herbert A. Talmud was accused of poisoning the food of customers at the Occidental Restaurant in Washington, DC.Click to Read More...
Permitted to Wear Van Dyke Beard Published on June 26, 2017 Posted in: Law & Order, Tidbits On July 24, 1955, the NY State Labor Department ruled that a man couldn't be fired from his job as a swimming pool attendant for having a Van Dyke beard.Click to Read More...
Eleuterio the Parrot Published on February 15, 2017 Posted in: Animals & Pets, Forgotten History, Law & Order, Tidbits Eleuterio the parrot was a national celebrity in Brazil. He was famous for his vulgarities and was nominated for city council.Click to Read More...
Vote Cacareco Published on February 1, 2017 Posted in: Animals & Pets, Law & Order, Tidbits In October of 1959, it was reported that a female rhinoceros named Cacareco had won the San Paolo municipal council election in a landslide.Click to Read More...
Millionaire for a Day – Podcast #99 Published on November 28, 2016 Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Forgotten History, Law & Order, Podcast What should a political party do if they do not want the winner of the primary on the ballot? Butch McDevitt was such a man back in 1911.Click to Read More...
The Trick-or-Treat Dentist – Podcast #98 Published on October 19, 2016 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Holidays & Celebrations, Law & Order, Podcast Back in 1959 dentist William V. Shyne was charged with giving laxative pills to trick-or-treaters. Find out what happened next...Click to Read More...
Bars Glue in Ice Cream Published on August 15, 2016 Posted in: Law & Order, Tidbits The Board of Health in NYC banned the use of glue in the manufacture of ice cream in 1920.Click to Read More...
Topless Cellist Published on July 12, 2016 Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Entertainment, Law & Order, Tidbits On May 9, 1967, NYC Judge Milton Shalleck handed down a ruling in the case of 28-year-old Charlotte Moorman who played her cello topless.Click to Read More...