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Fascinating True Stories From the Flip Side of History

On the Web Since 1994

Podcasting Since January 2008

Vice-Principal Cuts Offensive Images from Sex-Ed Textbooks (1978)

Published on October 31, 2023

Posted in: Schools & Education, Tidbits

Dumont High School Vice-Principal Edward R. Fisco decided to take a pair of scissors and cut out images that he deemed offensive from 50 copies of the school's sex ed textbook.

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His Feet Were Too Big for the Marines (1944)

Published on October 27, 2023

Posted in: Fashion & Design, Miscellaneous, Tidbits

Lawrence Irving Hanson's feet really were too big for the US Marines. Yet he still joined up, but soon ran into a BIG shoe problem...

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Boston Women Race to the Altar (1938)

Published on October 25, 2023

Posted in: Law & Order, Love & Marriage, Tidbits

Women who worked for Boston Edison risked being fired if they didn't marry by April 30, 1938. Many quickly married to avoid the deadline.

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Leonardo de Toenail (1980)

Published on September 28, 2023

Posted in: Bizarre & Oddities, Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Tidbits

The unusual true story of a man who snuck under library tables to paint women's toenails with nail polish.

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Woman Repeatedly Fails Driver’s Test (1969)

Published on September 26, 2023

Posted in: Law & Order, Tidbits

Just what is the world record for failing test to obtain a driver's license? Let's just say it is a very large number...

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The Perpetual Student (1908)

Published on September 23, 2023

Posted in: Tidbits

William Cullen Bryant Kemp was required to attend Columbia University for the remainder of his life to avoid losing an inheritance. Was this really true?

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Male Go-Go Dancers Need to Wear Bras (1975)

Published on August 22, 2023

Posted in: Entertainment, Tidbits

Male dancers at the Merritt House in Dundalk, Maryland were told that they would need to cover their bare chests. Brassieres were suggested.

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Man Can Only Have Home If Goat Moves In Too (1946)

Published on August 19, 2023

Posted in: Animals & Pets, Tidbits

Housing was in short supply after WWII. One woman agreed to rent her home only if the occupants agreed to bring a goat with them.

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Boy Takes a Ride on Kites (1927)

Published on August 17, 2023

Posted in: Science, Technology & Medicine, Tidbits

12-year-old Samuel F. Perkins, Jr. took to the skies over Providence, RI. He was pulled by kites designed by his father.

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Retrocast #19 – Podcast #202

Published on August 15, 2023

Posted in: Podcast, Retrocasts, Tidbits

A World War II vet who could only rent a home if he agreed to bring a live goat, Baltimore requires male go-go dancers to cover their breasts, and a woman who saw The Sound of Music 864 times, and much more!

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1938: Deer Stabs Man and Evens Score (Footnote)

Published on July 12, 2023

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

Albert Christianson was out hunting near his home and shot a buck. Next thing you know, a deer stabbed him with a knife...

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Teenagers Steal Airplane (1959)

Published on July 7, 2023

Posted in: Crime & Punishment, Law & Order, Tidbits

Three teenagers decide to steal an airplane and take a joyride in it. But what would they do when they began to run out of fuel?

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1920: Message in a Bottle Found Near Seattle (Footnote)

Published on July 5, 2023

Posted in: Footnotes to History, Miscellaneous, Tidbits, Unbelievable

Just how did a message sent in a bottle from Kansas end up floating in a canal near Seattle, Washington?

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He Lost His Temper and Found His Voice (1943)

Published on June 30, 2023

Posted in: Escape and Survival, Tidbits

Mario Mastrianni lost his ability to speak while fighting during World War II. A strange incident restored his speech.

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1906: Dress Made of Postage Stamps (Footnote)

Published on June 28, 2023

Posted in: Fashion & Design, Footnotes to History, Tidbits

Over 30,000 stamps were used to make a woman's dress in Bermuda in 1906. Sounds like one big sticky mess...

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