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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the WWW Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

You Can Call Me Al, Just Al (1966)

Published on July 21, 2026

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

Al Capone, Jr. didn't like living in the shadow of his notorious father. He preferred to lead a clean life, so he took action to fix the problem.

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The 2½-Mile Miracle (1960)

Published on July 17, 2026

Posted in: Escape and Survival, Tidbits

9-year-old Virgil Swartwood slipped and fell into an Erie, PA sewer tunnel. The current carried him 2-1/2 miles underground before he was discharged into Lake Erie.

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Too Many Smiths (1957)

Published on July 14, 2026

Posted in: Law & Order, Tidbits

James Wilbur Smith applied to have his driver's license renewed, but the State of Ohio refused to do so because of a car accident. The problem was that he hadn't been in one.

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Mothers Nurse the Wrong Babies (1954)

Published on June 16, 2026

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

Two mothers gave birth to sons on the same date in the same hospital. Could their babies have been accidentally switched at birth? They wouldn't have conclusive proof until they had nursed their babies for five weeks.

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Burial Crypt Ready for the Future (1940)

Published on June 12, 2026

Posted in: Death and Murder, Tidbits

Bob Wright was one of those people who planned for his death. His crypt was no exception. He outfitted it with all of the comforts of home.

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House Cut in Half (1933)

Published on June 9, 2026

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Tidbits

Two sisters were unable to agree on the repair of a house that suffered fire damage. As a result, one sister arranged for the house to be cut in half and moved.

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Nat King Cole Attacked (1956)

Published on May 1, 2026

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Tidbits

Pianist and singer Nat King Cole was performing on stage in Birmingham, Alabama when a group of men stormed the stage and attacked him simply because of the color of his skin.

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Hero Gets Day Off from School (1909)

Published on April 27, 2026

Posted in: Escape and Survival, Tidbits

Mylon Roche wasn't sent home early from school because he had done something wrong. Instead, he was given the remainder of the day off because of his heroism.

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The Linotype Machine Revolutionizes Printing (1886)

Published on April 24, 2026

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

The invention of the Linotype machine was brought about a surge in printed material, including newspapers, books, and magazines. It also introduced a new term to the printed page: ETAOIN SHRDLU.

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The Funks Go Kerplunk (1970)

Published on March 6, 2026

Posted in: Love & Marriage, Tidbits

Dorothy and David King Funk married and divorced not once, not twice, not three or four times, but a total of five times to one another!

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Cave Boy and Cave Girl (1915)

Published on March 2, 2026

Posted in: Escape and Survival, Love & Marriage, Tidbits

Two Chicago teenagers run away from home and attempt to live on their own along a riverbank just outside of Chicago. Would they survive?

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Retrocast #40 – Podcast #254

Published on February 26, 2026

Posted in: Podcast, Retrocasts, Tidbits

A couple marries and divorces over and over again, a fugitive appears on The Dating Game tv show, a man is fined for failing to give his wife a goodbye kiss, & more!

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Wand Locates Needle Inside Woman (1954)

Published on January 23, 2026

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

Doctors were unable to remove a needle from a woman's body, so they tried using a new device known as the Berman Metal Locator. Would it work?

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The Girl With a Nail in Her Lung (1946)

Published on January 20, 2026

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

16-year-old Shirley Jackson face almost certain death unless a nail lodged in her lung was removed. The problem was that no Australian hospital was equipped to do so.

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The Human Ostrich (1910)

Published on January 16, 2026

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

When doctors performed an autopsy on Sally Roper in 1910, they uncovered a jaw-dropping trove of 1,446 bizarre objects inside her stomach—including nails, screws, and even a car nameplate.

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