Cool Weird Awesome carves out a few minutes each day for the great stuff. The stuff we all need so we don't think the world has gone completely crazy.
Today in 1972, the birthday of Manon Rhéaume, who made history as the first woman to ever play in the National Hockey League. Plus: today is National Tortilla Chip Day. There are lots of ways to celebrate, like recreating the work of a Reddit user who, in 2021, made a prom dress out of old bags of Doritos. Manon Rheaume realizes her NHL debut was ‘not just another game' (SportsNet) I made a prom dress out of recycled Doritos bags from my school cafeteria (Reddit)Make it a goal to join our community of supporters on Patreon
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can be a big challenge for some people. There's a research project underway to see if becoming a DJ can help with ADHD. Plus: a big mathematical mind wanted a very specific shape on his tombstone. A new spin on ADHD treatment (Virginia Tech University) Why This Great Mathematician Wanted a Heptadecagon on His Tombstone (Scientific American)“He's the DJ, we're the backers,” say our supporters on Patreon
Today in 1977, the show that famously broadcast “live from New York” put on a special show live from New Orleans. While you can't exactly call what happened a trainwreck, it has definitely stayed a one and done. Plus: today in 1989, TIME magazine noted that a TV ad for Nike sneakers wasn't quite what it appeared to be. The Big Uneasy: When SNL Went to Mardi Gras (Vulture)Advertising: If the Inamuk Fits . . . (TIME) It's easy to support this show, just give $1 a month through our Patreon page
Today in 1973, one of the greatest boxers of all time tried a different sport for a day… and it really didn't go well. Plus: on this day in 1967, a news story about a swimmer who broke a world record but got disqualified on wardrobe grounds. Joe Frazier Almost Drowned On National Television 40 Years Ago Today (Sports Illustrated) Sylvia Ester, World-Record Swimmer (Weird Universe)Keep this podcast above water as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1930, a Guernsey cow known as Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to go up in a plane, and the first one to be milked during the flight (!) Plus: today in 2012, a pro golfer hits a ball that accidentally rolls up a guy's pant leg (!!) Elm Farm Ollie: The Story of the First Cow to Take Flight (San Diego Air & Space Museum)Trending: Mickelson's ball ends up in man's shorts (Golf Digest)Keep this show flying into the future as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1989, two players in a chess tournament faced off… and set a record for the longest tournament chess match of all time. Plus: today in 1921, a nun in St. Paul, Minnesota made educational history. The Longest Tournament Chess Game (Chess.com) School Patrol Flagpole (Atlas Obscura)It's your move, make it a good one by backing our show on Patreon
The most famous giant president heads are the ones on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, but many president buffs also swear by a different set in Virginia… though those heads have definitely had a rough go of it. Plus: a CBC report in 1987 features grocery store price checkers who were really on a roll.Inside Virginia's Decaying President Heads: Where They Came From, Where They Are, How to Tour (Roadtrippers)#TBT: Remember when Superstore had price checkers on roller skates? This goes all the way back to 1987. (CBC Edmonton via Facebook) Our Patreon backers use their heads to support this show, join them today
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from November 2019, the legend of how President Lincoln once served as a kind of wedding planner at the White House. Plus: Marlborough, Massachusetts hosts the New England WizardFest, where you can immerse yourself in the world of witches and wizards. Adams moves into the White House, Nov. 1, 1800 (Politico)Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was supposedly a wedding planner? (White House History on Twitter)The New England WizardfestBack Cool Weird Awesome on Twitter and you can solemnly swear that you are up to something good
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2021, a groundbreaking detective uses her ingenuity to get President-elect Lincoln to Washington DC when there were threats against him. Plus: the family of the late Alex Trebek does some good with the suits he wore on Jeopardy! Pinkerton Spy, Feminist Icon (Crimereads)The woman who helped protect Lincoln from the men who tried to kill him in 1861 (Washington Post)How Alex Trebek's Suits Are Making A Difference (Inside Wink)Help this show make new episodes as a backer on Patreon!
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2022, the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft, a space underneath the famous memorial that's a result of the engineering it took to build on that spot. Plus: a farmer in Takoma Park, Maryland honored the late president by carving his name into a beech tree. Over and over.Lincoln Memorial Undercroft (Atlas Obscura)The Presidents' Tree (Friends of Sligo Creek)Party on with our Patreon backers, and keep our show growing
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from October 2021, a handwritten letter from an 11 year old convinces presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln to grow a beard. Plus: in 1957, an unusual demonstration in Port Washington, Wisconsin: the “Power Mower of the Future”! Letter to Grace Bedell (Abraham Lincoln Online)The Simplicity “Air-Conditioned Lawnmower” 1957 (Wacky Explorer)Join us as a Patreon backer and we'll send you a letter saying thanks
We're replaying some of our favorite episodes about the 16th President. In this episode from February 2020, President Lincoln gets an offer from a fellow leader to send elephants to the United States, and he has to gently put the guy off. Plus: when elephants who haven't seen each other in a while get back together, they do some big, loud and adorable stuff. Lincoln Rejects the King of Siam's Offer of Elephants (American Battlefield Trust)Elephant Emotions (PBS Nature)We graciously invite you to back Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon!
This month in 1964, the talk of the art world was an exciting avant garde painter named Pierre Brassau… except that this painter was actually a chimpanzee, and Pierre Brassau was a big old hoax. Plus: the young lady in the famous Sun Maid raisin logo was inspired by an actual person. The Monkey Artist Hoax (Today I Found Out)Our history (Sun Maid)Paint the future of this podcast as a backer on Patreon
Born today in 1929, Hal Blaine, a session drummer who played on not just some of the biggest hits of the 1960s, but hundreds of them. Plus: today in 1999, the first major online livestream, which brought something like 1.5 million users together to watch a Victoria's Secret fashion show. Remembering Hal Blaine (Drum Magazine)February 5, 1999: First Major Webcast in Victoria's Secret (This Day In Tech History via Archive.org) Keep this show marching to the beat of its own drummer as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1948, the birthday of Vincent Furnier, who rock music fans know better as Alice Cooper. Onstage he was wild, provocative, shocking; offstage he spent a lot of time helping a certain comedy legend get some sleep. Plus: science geeks on the internet figure out a solution to a seemingly impossible postal conundrum. How Alice Cooper and Groucho Marx got to be midnight buds (Las Vegas Review-Journal)What Could You Stuff in a Post Office Mailer to Exceed the Weight Limit? (Popular Mechanics)Befriend our show as a backer on Patreon
Today in 2006, Fred the cat went undercover in Brooklyn, helping police and the district attorney's office bust a guy who was pretending to be a veterinarian. Yes, it was an undercover cat! Plus: a discussion of celebrity news on live TV goes off the rails when a cat walks past the camera dressed as a sunflower. A Detective. A Celebrity. And That Was Just Life No. 1. (New York Times) Work from home: When you get upstaged by a cat wearing a sunflower (FOX 13 Tampa Bay via YouTube) No need to go undercover to support this show, just join us on Patreon
For Black History Month, we have the story of Rosa Graggs, a Black leader in Detroit who found a way around housing rules that tried to keep her from using her own property. Plus: Greg the Sorcerer is playing the open world survival game Valheim. Well, sort of. Detroit street that rejected Rosa Gragg will wear her name (Detroit Free Press)Valheim player keeps building Dollar Generals despite friend begging them to stop: 'I do not want to play Valheim with Greg anymore' (PC Gamer)Want more episodes like this one? Back our show on Patreon today
Today in 1969, the Beatles gave their famous "rooftop concert" in London. The police eventually shut it down, but no one got arrested... to the disappointment of at least part of the group. Plus: starting tomorrow in Florida, it's the Gasparilla Pirate Fest. Beatles' Famous Rooftop Concert: 15 Things You Didn't Know (Rolling Stone)Gasparilla Pirate Fest Get back to our Patreon page where you once belonged
Today in 1861, Kansas became the 34th state in the Union. In the 1990s, a dispute over school funding led to a plan to turn part of the state into a new state of West Kansas. Plus: New York City has said goodbye to MetroCards as a payment system for bus and subway rides, but you can relive the glory days of those plastic fare cards in a new exhibit at the New York Transit Museum. Parts of Kansas once tried to secede and form 'West Kansas.' It helps explain our politics today (KAKE)NYC's Transit Museum Pays Homage to the MetroCard (Hyperallergic)Want more shows about would-be states? Back our show on Patreon today
Today in 1971, the NFL began its annual draft. Back then, the drafts were strictly business, except for the moment when an NFL franchise appeared to draft one of the biggest names in Hollywood. Plus: today in 2021, a guy in Idaho won a big lottery prize, after having won smaller prizes five times earlier. Inside the 1971 NFL Draft, Where Atlanta Selected...John Wayne? (Sports Illustrated)Man wins sixth Idaho Lottery, this time taking home $250K (NBC News)Select our show as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1832, the birthday of Lewis Carroll, the author of “Alice In Wonderland.” One of the most memorable characters in Carroll's universe, the Mad Hatter, got his name from an actual medical condition that made those working in the hat industry seem to turn mad. Plus: today in 1937, the birthday of history-making broadcast journalist Nancy Dickerson. Poisons Part I: The Mercurial World of Felt (Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco)Nancy Dickerson, 70, First Woman to Be a Reporter at CBS (New York Times) Our Patreon backers are like feathers in our caps, join them today
Today in 1892, the birthday of Bessie Coleman. She would break barriers in the sky, but only after she made a name for herself in another line of work: manicures. Plus: starting today in Elko, Nevada, it's the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. Bessie Coleman (National Women's History Museum)41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Help this show keep flying as a backer on Patreon
Why have comedians been throwing pies at each other for laughs for so long? For National Pie Day, we investigate. Plus: Stacey Mei Yan Fong's project 50 Pies/50 States put the essence of each state in the Union into pie form.The messy history of the pie fight, from vaudeville to Nickelodeon (Hopes & Fears via Archive.org) 50 Pies/50 StatesFor the cost of a piece of pie a month you can support our show on Patreon
Today in 1943, the community of Spearfish, South Dakota had some serious ups and downs in the weather, setting an all-time record for the fastest temperature change ever documented. Plus: today in 1997, Lottie Williams of Tulsa, Oklahoma went out for a walk and got hit with what was likely a piece of a Delta rocket falling to Earth. History of Spearfish's World Record Temperature Change (South Dakota Public Broadcasting)Jan. 22, 1997: Heads Up, Lottie! It's Space Junk! (WIRED)Stick with our show through ups and downs as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1910, the birthday of Károly Takács, a multi-time Olympic champion who won his medals without the use of his dominant hand. Plus: today in 1936, inventor Carl Brown obtained a patent for an unusual device meant to wake up drowsy drivers. Karoly Takacs, the Para athlete who achieved Olympic glory (World Shooting Para Sport)Staying awake at the wheel (Weird Universe)Help our show stay on target, donate today on Patreon
Today in 1970, a strange moment in boxing history: two of the greatest heavyweights of all time faced off in a computer-simulated fight for a movie. Plus: today in 1946, the birthday of David Lynch, filmmaker, musician and occasional weather forecaster. How Muhammad Ali regretted his strangest fight ever (The Sporting News via Archive.org) Watch 950 Weather Reports Presented by David Lynch, Straight from His Los Angeles Home (Open Culture)Keep this show in fighting shape, back it on Patreon today
For the holiday today, we're replaying an episode from January 2020 about the civil rights leader and his connection to Star Trek. A big reason why Dr. King was such a fan was the character of Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols.Star Trek's Uhura Reflects On MLK Encounter (NPR's Tell Me More)
Today in 1749 two British nobles decided to play a trick on London's theatergoers. And their trick, known today as the Great Bottle Hoax, proved their point, while also managing to mostly backfire. Plus: police in Heber City, Utah are turning into frogs on the job! At least according to AI. The Great Bottle Conjurer Hoax (The Paris Review)Ribbit ribbit! Artificial Intelligence programs used by Heber City police claim officer turned into a frog (Fox 13 Now)Our Patreon backers make this show possible, and that's no hoax
Today in 2009, the "Miracle on the Hudson," in which an airplane in distress made an emergency landing on a river and everyone on board survived. While winning national acclaim for his piloting, the captain had to do some explaining at his local library. Plus: a car guy from Long Island gets a special ride for his dad and finds a bit of hip hop history. Library lets late fees fly for Hudson pilot (NBC News)Long Island Man Buys Rolls-Royce Corniche for His Dad. It Turned Out To Be Tupac's (The Drive)Fly along with us as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1976 Tizi Hodson wrote a letter applying for what she called her dream job… and I don't imagine that her dream included waiting almost half a century to hear back from the employer. Plus: today's the birthday of track great Shawn Crawford, who won multiple Olympic medals but was just as well known for bringing a lighter side to sports. Woman gets reply about job application - 48 years on (BBC) Memorable Olympic Moments: Shawn Crawford's Olympic Success (SBNation Shakin The Southland)Support this show on Patreon and you'll get some great benefits right away
Today in 1979, the YMCA filed a lawsuit against the Village People, for their song paying tribute to the YMCA! But don't worry, there's a happy ending for both sides here. Plus: Switzerland's Silvesterkläuse help ring in the new year and maybe maybe get a drink or two as they do.“Y.M.C.A.” (An Oral History) (SPIN) Silvesterkläuse both beautiful and ugly (Swiss National Museum)It's fun to back us on Patreon
Today in 2018, the closest of close calls for Brock Meister of Plymouth, Indiana: he survived a rarely survivable medical injury known as “internal decapitation.” Plus: for National Soundcheck Day, meet the Soundcube, a 1969 installation with loudspeakers in every direction. Brock Meister's life was saved by his best friend — six months later, Brock was able to save his own brother's life (Business Insider)Bernhard Leitner's Soundcube, 1969 – The Art of Seeing Sound And Hearing With Your Whole Body (Flashbak)We're lucky to have our Patreon supporters
This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from February 2022, a basketball story that's almost too perfect for words: a high school team put its manager into the game, and not only did he play, he stole the show. Plus: the Glacier Express is called the “world's slowest express train,” and its eight hour trip takes you through all the stunning scenery in Switzerland. The game nobody could forget (ESPN)The World's Slowest Express Train Has Panoramic Glass for Breathtaking Views (Thrillist)Our Patreon backers make this show a slam dunk every day
This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from November 2021, a look at an NBA game in 1978 in which, thanks to some complications, four players are on the box score for both teams. Plus: two artists build an installation in Taiwan that resembles a stairway to heaven! Alert Led Zeppelin. In 1978-79 season, deal like no other happened at NBA trade deadline (NBA.com)Artists Build a ‘Stairway to Heaven' Optical Illusion (Laughing Squid)We would never trade our Patreon backers
This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from July 2022, the story of Wataru “Wat” Misaka, who became the first non-white player to be drafted into what is now the NBA. And basketball wasn't the only sport in which he excelled. Plus: the Twin Cities hosts a "kick volleyball" competition at the Hmong International Freedom Festival. Japanese American Former Basketball Star Inspired On And Off The Court (NPR)Hmong International Freedom Festival (Visit Saint Paul)Our Patreon backers are championship material
This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from February 2022, Lisa Leslie, a high school basketball player who would later become one of the biggest names in the WNBA, had a record day, scoring 101 points in just 16 minutes. Plus: research finds a silver lining for Olympic runners up. That One Time: Lisa Leslie Scored 101 Points in a High School Game (24/7 Live Culture)Olympians That Win Silver Tend To Live Longer Than Those That Win Gold (UNILAD)Let's set some records together, join our show as a backer on Patreon!
This week we're replaying some of our favorite hoops-related episodes. In this episode from March 2022, we look at one of the most stunning performances in the history of pro sports: Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game. Plus: a short film called “Donkey Baseball” featured fans in a baseball game where, yes, most of the players had to ride donkeys. The Legacy Of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-Point Game (WBUR)Five things you didn't know about Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game (Sporting News)Donkey Baseball (YouTube)Our Patreon backers are all winners
Today in 1910, the birthday of Charlie Douglass, who popularized the use of prerecorded laughter to help TV comedies seem more funny. Amirite folks? Plus: an astronaut uses microgravity to demonstrate a shape that we can't reproduce on Earth. Charles Rolland 'Charlie' Douglass (Variety via Archive.org) The Art of Science: Soft Cell in Space (University of Oxford) Laugh along with our show every day as a backer on Patreon
A brand new year can be confusing for lots of reasons, but for Romans, the year 46 BC was when they tried to fix all the issues with their calendar and it made time literally drag on. Plus: a new wooden compass could help people with dementia find their way through the world. Why Julius Caesar's Year of Confusion was the longest year in history (BBC)wooden compass with single red arrow leads people with dementia to their homes (designboom)Our Patreon backers are also getting an exclusive bonus episode today - join them now!
New Year's Eve is full of traditions, including several in different parts of the world where people wear red underwear for luck as one year ends and the next begins. Plus: in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, the New Year's disco ball drop comes with a Pennsylvania Dutch twist. Grab Your Red Underwear and Get Ready for New Year's Eve (Ripley's) PEEPS, PICKLES, AND PUCKS: Unique New Year's celebrations planned across Pennsylvania (ABC 27)Thanks to our Patreon backers for supporting our show all year long! Why not join them in 2026?
ToFuel is a research project in Europe that aims to collect the stems, leaves and other uneaten tomato bits into an alternative and more eco-friendly fuel for jets. Plus: today in 1941, a photograph for the ages, thanks to a photographer with some gumption. Scientists turn tomato waste into climate-friendly jet fuel to cut aviation emissions (Interesting Engineering)The Taming of Winston Churchill (On This Day)Fuel our podcast every day as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1962, the US designated Hawaii's Fort Elizabeth as a National Historic Landmark. The fort was the idea of Georg Schäffer, who thought it might be step one in making Hawaii a colony of Russia. Plus: a scientist in Hungary has been teaching rats how to play the 90s video game Doom II. Russian Fort/ Fort Elizabeth (National Park Service)Rats Successfully Trained to Shoot Demons in “Doom” (Futurism)Help build up our show as a backer on Patreon
If you're in Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria or several other countries in southeastern Europe today, be careful and keep your wits about you. This is when Christmas goblins are on the loose again. Plus: if you've ever just wanted to sit for a bit with a nice hot cup of coffee, we have a moment in patent history for you. Kallikantzaroi: Tree-Chopping Christmas Goblins (The Atlas of Christmas by Alex Palmer, via Google Books) James H. Mason (Franklin Historical Museum)Legend has it that one way to stop the Christmas goblins is to back a really good podcast on Patreon
Merry Christmas! If you lived in Boston in the 1920s, you might have come across a hot dog vendor who decided to give hungry kids a special treat on December 25. He became known as the city's "Hot Dog Santa." Plus: one family Christmas tradition involves cataloguing everybody's weirdest mistakes and then giving out the family "Goober award." Hot Dog Santa Brings Christmas Cheer to Children (Newspapers.com) 30 People Are Sharing Weird And Wholesome Traditions That Make Their Christmas Special (Bored Panda)Thanks so much to our Patreon backers for all the gifts and support this year!
It's said that today in 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote the verses to what is now the most famous Christmas poem of all time. But the eminent professor wasn't always thrilled that this poem was his most famous written work. Plus: Did you know that there was once a tourist town in Arizona called Santa Claus? Time for a Visit from St. Nicholas (Library of Congress)Santa Claus, Arizona (Atlas Obscura)We're directing Santa toward our Patreon backers, since they've been so good this year
According to Seinfeld, December 23 is Festivus. It's a made-up TV holiday that has roots in a real family's tradition, though it may be even more inexplicable than the famous version. Plus: December 23 in Oaxaca, Mexico is known as “Night of the Radishes.”What is Festivus? The 'Seinfeld' holiday has real 'sinister' origins (Cincinnati Enquirer) Mexico's Night of the Radishes, a Quirky Christmas Tradition (How Stuff Works)Back our show on Patreon, or at least make a donation in our name to the Human Fund
Today in 1882, a big moment in holiday decorations: thanks to inventor Edward H. Johnson, for the first time, a Christmas tree festooned with colorful electric lights. Plus: Iceland has a fascinating Christmas tradition: the Yule Cat. Who invented electric Christmas lights? (Library of Congress)A festive feline: Iceland's terrifying Christmas Yule Cat (History.co.uk)Light up our podcast as a backer on Patreon
Today in 1892, the birthday of Fred Thomas, who had the unusual distinction of being an active duty member of the military while playing in baseball's World Series. And his two jobs helped lead to a pretty big custom in modern American sports. Plus: this Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska, it's the Winter Solstice Festival. Fred Thomas (Society for American Baseball Research)Winter Solstice Festival We have a job for you: back this show on Patreon
Today in 1620, people aboard the English ship Mayflower dropped anchor supposedly at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. Only the story of the rock came much later, and then people had a hard time keeping the rock in one piece. Plus: some online reviewers have not exactly been rocked by visiting Plymouth Rock. Thomas Faunce: The Man Who Saved Plymouth Rock (New England Historical Society)The Funniest Reviews of Plymouth Rock Left by Disappointed Tourists (Thrillist)Nobody rocks as much as our Patreon backers rock
Happy Hanukkah! In this episode from December 2022, we visit Hanukkah House in Houston. When most people mark Hanukkah with lights, they mean candles on a menorah. But Philip Grosman brings all the lights for the festival.Houston's famous Hanukkah house shines bright for the holidays (KHOU)This show is powered by our backers on Patreon!
A little over a century ago, a group of women, fed up with the overly commercial side of Christmas, formed the Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving, or SPUG. And they made a pretty big splash along the way. Plus: today in 1773, the Boston Tea Party, though it was known by a slightly wordier name in its time. Only You Can Prevent Useless Gifts (JSTOR)The Destruction of the Tea (Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum) You don't have to turn in your Spug button to back our show on Patreon, because it's very practical
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