Today in 1951, the birth of Barry Marshall, a Nobel Prize winning doctor who, while working with colleague Robin Warren, proved what was behind most ulcers by giving himself an ulcer. Plus: an 11 year old in England saves an engraving from the dumpster that turns out to be pretty important. The Doctor Who Drank Infectious Broth, Gave Himself an Ulc…

Tomorrow is International Rabbit Day, so today we’re going to celebrate the real and very cute sport known as rabbit show jumping. Plus: starting tomorrow in Nevada, it’s the Genoa Candy Dance, a fundraiser with a long and electric history. Rabbit, Run Is an Exhortation Oft Heard in England Now (Wall Street Journal) Genoa Candy Dance Hop on over to…

Around this time of year, volunteers on the Westman Islands, off Iceland's southern coast, are on puffling patrol, trying to help lost baby puffins get to sea by tossing them off cliffs. As one does. Plus: starting this Sunday, it's the Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin' Festival. Why it's perfectly normal to see baby puffins thrown off cliffs in Iceland eac…

Astronauts who live and work on space stations have to make sure to clean every last spot in their quarters, partly to keep big balls of moldy goo from growing! There's research underway to help keep the microbes from moving in. Plus: starting tomorrow in Kingwood, West Virginia, it’s the Preston County Buckwheat Festival. Keeping mold out of futur…

Today in 1929, Lieutenant James H. Doolittle did what no other pilot had done before: take off, fly and land only using instruments and radio. Plus: today in 2021, Japan's Narita Airport had to delay a flight because of a turtle on the runway. Flying Blind (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Errant turtle closes runway, delays turtle-themed plane at Japa…

Around this time in 2011, two people in Oklahoma gave themselves and their part of the state a very off-the-beaten-path anniversary gift: the Winganon Space Capsule. Plus: ever hear someone call a run-down cafe or bar a “hole in the wall”? There’s a coffee shop in the Philippines that serves drinks through an actual hole in the wall. The Winganon S…

Today in 1977, the first broadcast of the Happy Days episode in which Henry Winkler’s character, The Fonz, jumps over a shark on water skis. "Jumping the shark" is a phrase we use today to talk about shows that get weird and go downhill, but why was Fonz jumping over the shark to begin with? Plus: starting tomorrow in Springfield, Missouri, the Cid…

Today in 1986, Australian cricketer Dean Jones stepped up during a really important match, literally leaving it all on the field as he played through high heat and humidity, dehydration, exhaustion and illness. Plus: today in 1911, the birthday of author William Golding, whose biggest novel only became a hit after being rejected over and over again…

For National Cheeseburger Day, here’s the story of the guy who brought us one of the world’s most massive and massively popular burgers: Jim Delligatti, the inventor of the Big Mac. Plus: a designer in Belgium, Mathilde Wittock, has come up with a way to upcycle used tennis balls into furniture. Michael "Jim" Delligatti, Big Mac creator, dead at 98…

New research finds that couples can keep a conflict from escalating by taking a short break - and I mean, really short - during an argument. Plus: for National Pet Bird Day, a heavy metal band led by a South African Grey Parrot doing "death squawking” over the music. Cheaper than couples counselling: take a five-second break (University of St. Andr…

For Mexican Independence Day, the story of how Mexican music and movies found fans in a place you might not expect: post-war Yugoslavia. Plus: what's even wilder than a video of two bicyclists doing some of their best stunts? A video of two bicyclists doing some of their best stunts while also on a moving train. In mid-'60s Yugoslavia, mariachi mus…

The trope about Friday the 13th is that it's extra-unlucky and scary, so to address any fears his young viewers might have about this day, Mister Rogers decided to make it a really fun day, especially for the King of the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Plus: today in 1991, Nirvana had quite a wild release party for their landmark record "Nevermind." …

Today in 1995, the Harlem Globetrotters lost! It hasn't happened often, but we'll tell you about two times the storied team didn't come out on top. Plus: this Saturday in Vermont, it’s the Rutland Whoopie Pie Fest. Harlem Globetrotters’ 8,829-game winning streak snapped (History.com) KING OF THE LOSERS I played for the worst basketball team of all …

Today in 2001, while the world watched a tragedy unfold, there was an amazing story happening far from those sites: an effort to help a six month old baby get a transplant that would save her life. 9/11 attacks nearly kept a life-saving organ from an infant. Here’s how we met the moment. (The Tennessean) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters…

Today in 1999, a news report about how Norm Michael was drafted by the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. The catch? He'd been drafted in 1944. Plus: a new musical instrument Stacco uses marbles, magnets, a drum-like surface and artificial intelligence. This day in sports history: The player who didn’t know he’d been drafted for 50 years (Yahoo! Sports) mu…

Today in 1890, the birthday of Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder and public face of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and who, for a while, was also a pretty big critic of the fast food brand he started. Plus: back in 2020, KFC announced a movie featuring Mario Lopez playing the Colonel?!? Colonel Sanders Once Competed Against KFC And Got Sued (Tasting Ta…

Today in 1919, the birthday of Wilson Greatbatch, who made implantable pacemakers a reality for millions of patients. A pretty big legacy for a guy who considered himself a “humble tinkerer.” Plus: today in 1954, a report on a guy who was supposed to a defend a beer drinking title but first had business to attend to at another bar. Wilson Greatbatc…

This month in 1966, an extraordinary rescue of a group of students who had gotten stranded on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean and managed to live there successfully for over a year. Plus: starting this Saturday on Easdale Island in Scotland, it’s the World Stone Skimming Championships. A real life Lord of the Flies: The 50-year-old story of a …

For decades Gerber has been the biggest name in baby food. In 1974, the company tried offering a line of ready-to-eat foods in glass jars for adults... which maybe didn't go so well. Plus: starting this Friday in Pennsylvania, it’s the Bowers Chile Pepper Festival. Baby food for adults was just as sad as it sounds (The Hustle) Bowers Chile Pepper F…

Today in 1877, the birthday of Charles Downing Lay. He won the first American medal at the 1936 Olympics, for…. town planning? Plus: starting this Friday, it’s the South Carolina Apple Festival. And the Medal Goes To... (Brooklyn Public Library) South Carolina Apple Festival Help plan a bright future for our show as a backer on Patreon --- Support …

For this Labor Day holiday we thought we should pay tribute to what may have been the strangest ways to make a living in its time: the so-called "department store scapegoat" who was kept on staff to be "fired" from time to time. Plus: today in 1903, Scott Perky applied for a patent for a bidirectional typeface. Fact-Checking Steve Jobs: Was “The Cu…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from May 2020, the story of an important if not technically perfect image: the first picture ever taken from the Hubble Space Telescope. Plus: an Irish bee enthusiast spends time at home building a beehive …

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from July 2019, we look at one of the most prominent July 4th events before American independence, an astronomical event in 11th Century China. Plus: Oatman, Arizona's Sidewalk Egg Frying Challenge offers a…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from November 2020, Cincinnati dedicates an observatory that was open to the public, the first of its kind in the U.S., one called the “birthplace of American astronomy.” How Cincinnati became the ‘Birthpla…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from March 2022, the story of an astronomer who definitely made her mark on the sky: Caroline Herschel, the first woman to discover a comet. Plus: residents of Pooler, Georgia, have a local landmark, a gian…

This week we’re replaying some of our favorite shows about planets and stars and galaxies and the people who have studied them. In this episode from June 2021, French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil tries to observe the transit of Venus in the 18th Century, only it doesn't go so well. Plus: Pringle, South Dakota is home to an enormous – and apparent…

Today in 2012, the New York Times reported on what it called “probably the worst art restoration project of all time.” Thanks to an amateur artist, a fresco of Jesus in a church in northeastern Spain ended up looking quite different. Plus: a youngster in England wanted to help a local museum, so she donated her favorite rock to the collection. A To…

NASA's Parker Solar Probe has revealed some new details about our solar system’s top star, including that it’s very loud (!) Plus: starting today in Cumberland, Wisconsin, it’s Rutabaga Fest. The Sun: Extremely loud and incredibly hot (Astronomy.com) Cumberland, WI Rutabaga Festival Our backers on Patreon keep this show shining --- Support this pod…

Today in 1936, the birthday of Wilt Chamberlain, a legend on the basketball court who, after retirement, took a detour into the world of professional volleyball. Plus: today in 1953, a story about a wife, a husband, a divorce and a life-size dummy. Remembering Wilt Chamberlain's Short-Lived but Momentous Volleyball Career (Inside Hook) Dummy Divorc…

Today in 2018, a bidder in Delaware put up $410,000 for a license plate. It doesn't happen a lot, but there’s a whole subculture around license plates in the First State, and once in a while it can turn pretty lucrative. Plus: today in 1948, the birthday of Robert Plant, who says he once paid big bucks for a radio station to stop playing one of his…

For National Photography Day, a look at the many ways people in the pre-computer days could make photos look like something they weren't, for fun or for not so honorable reasons. Plus: back in 1971, American Airlines put out an ad showing off its in-flight piano bar. A Giant Visitor to New York City (Library of Congress) Faking It: Manipulated Phot…

If you find yourself at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, you may come across one of its most unusual attractions: the husband calling contest. We'll explain how it works. Plus: starting tomorrow in Lebanon, Indiana, it’s Augtoberfest. The Iowa State Fair Husband Calling Contest (Neatorama) Augtoberfest We’re calling on you to back our show on Pat…

Today's the birthday in 1895 of an inventor with a huge legacy: Ignacio Anaya Garcia, the man who gave us nachos. Plus: starting tomorrow on Long Island, it’s the Laura Branigan “Spirit of Love” Memorial Gathering. Meet Ignacio Anaya García, the Man Who Invented Nachos, In Today’s Google Doodle (Fortune) Laura Branigan “Spirit of Love” Memorial Gat…

People have feelings about tipping today, and that was true when tipping first came to the United States. But the people who opposed tipping had sometimes opposing reasons for their anti-tip stances. Plus: a new silver coin issued by Samoa features Wonder Woman. When Tipping Was Considered Deeply Un-American (NPR’s The Salt) Samoa issues silver coi…

Today in 1975, a famous concert by the Grateful Dead at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. And if you look closely at the credits, you’ll see a peculiar listing that reads “Mickey Hart - percussion and crickets.” Plus: this week in Maine, it’s the Machias Wild Blueberry Festival. So many roads : the life and times of the Grateful Dead by Da…

Researchers want to head off the small but serious risk of fire that comes with lithium ion batteries. A team at Clemson University may have found a way to teach the batteries how to put themselves out if they start burning. Plus: we have a new world record for “fastest time to slice a bell pepper.” Self-extinguishing batteries could reduce the ris…

It's National Billiards and Pool Day, so we have the story of George H. Sutton, who became an accomplished billiards player after losing his hands. Plus: today in Scotland, day two of the 10-day Edinburgh Deaf Festival. HANDLESS' SUTTON, BILLIARD PLAYER, 68; Despite Handicap, Had Opposed Many Leading Professionals (New York Times) Edinburgh Deaf Fe…

During the 1936 Summer Games, Liechtenstein showed up flying its blue and red striped flag, only to find that Haiti was flying its flag, which had the same stripes and the same colors. Fortunately they found a solution. Plus: starting today in Indiana, it’s the Oakland City Sweet Corn Festival. flag of Liechtenstein (Britannica) flag of Haiti (Brit…

Today in 1987, American swimmer Lynne Cox took to the freezing waters of the Bering Strait in a call for peace between the world’s superpowers. Plus: today in 2019, actor Danny Trejo, known for playing bad guys, had a real-life good guy moment. How an American swimmer helped thaw Cold War relations (Boston.com) Lynne Cox swims into communist territ…

Today in 1926, American Gertrude Ederle swam from France to England, a record-setting crossing of the English Channel she made in stormy weather! Plus: if you're celebrating International Clown Week, you might want to drop by Plainview, Nebraska, home to the Klown Doll Museum. The First Woman to Brave the English Channel (Outside) The Klown Doll Mu…

Scientists have found that Exoplanet HD 189733b looks blue with white wispy clouds, but the similarities between that far-off world and this one stop right about there. Plus: starting this Friday in East Nashville, Tennessee, it’s the Tomato Art Fest. This Blue Alien Planet Is Not at All Earth-Like (Space.com) Rains of Terror on Exoplanet HD 189733…

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of the original Olympic flag. It flew over the Games for in 1920 and then disappeared, and we didn’t find out what had happened to it for seven decades. Plus: a 3D printed robotic hand plays Super Mario Bros. …

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, the story of two of those athletes, who ended up winning the only half-silver, half-bronze medals in Olympic history. Plus: the International Olympic Committee does enforce its trademark rights, which sometimes leads to…

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from October 2022, the story of Margaret Abbott. She became the first American woman to win an Olympic title, even though she didn’t know she was in the Olympics! Plus: Ruth Hamilton of British Columbia gets an unexpected visitor at ho…

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from August 2021, swimmer Eric Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea makes a splash at the 2000 Summer Games despite finishing well behind the rest of the competitors in his event. Plus: Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin won a gold medal in…

We’re replaying some of our favorite episodes about the Games and those who have competed in them. In this episode from July 2021, a look at the men's marathon from the 1904 Games. You couldn't write a weirder race than this one. Running a marathon was never crazier or harder than during the 1904 St Louis Olympics (ABC Australia) 8 Unusual Facts Ab…

Today in 1959, Marine Corps pilot William Rankin passed through the middle of a thundercloud after having to eject from his plane. And despite the storm’s best efforts, he made it through in one piece. Plus: starting today in Tenino, Washington, it’s Oregon Trail Days. Meet the Marine who ‘rode the thunder’ and lived to tell the tale (Air Force Tim…

Summer travel comes and goes for most of us, but Tom Stuker, the "world's most frequent flyer," bought a lifetime plane ticket in 1990 and has been up in the air a lot since then. Plus: Monday in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, it’s the Rain Day Festival. New Jersey man dubbed ‘most traveled air passenger’ with nearly 24 million miles in the air (News12.…

Today in 1978, the American release date of what looked like a blockbuster movie musical: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," starring some of the biggest music and movie stars of the era. Yeah, it didn't go so well. Plus: the Apollo 11 astronauts had to fill out customs declarations when they came back from the moon!?! Beatles-Based Movie Is …

Today was the day in 1904 that a guy at the St. Louis World’s Fair took a pastry cone, put two scoops of ice cream inside, and changed the dessert world forever. Except that there are a bunch of ice cream cone origin stories from that World's Fair, and also, ice cream cones were around for more than a century before that. Plus: The US Postal Servic…