Police Squad! The TV Comedy That Got Canceled For Being Too Funny (Cool Weird Awesome 1195)

Today in 1982, the premiere of the short-lived but critically acclaimed cop spoof Police Squad, a show TV executives said was essentially too funny to stay on the air. 

By |2024-03-04T07:12:11-05:00March 4, 2024|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Newspaper Reporters Once Bought A Chicago Dive Bar To Catch Corrupt Officials (Cool Weird Awesome 1165)

Today in 1978 the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper started publishing a series of stories that reporters still talk about today: reporters bought a dive bar in Chicago, named it the Mirage Tavern, and worked undercover as bartenders to catch corrupt city inspectors. 

By |2024-01-08T06:49:49-05:00January 8, 2024|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

Black Firefighters In Chicago Helped Give The World The Fire Pole (Cool Weird Awesome 1141)

Today in 1872, the Chicago Tribune reported on the launch of a new fire station that would change the profession of firefighting forever by inventing the fire pole. 

By |2023-12-06T08:45:49-05:00December 6, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

The Thirteen Club Put Thirteen Guests Together For A Thirteen Course Meal On Friday The 13th (Cool Weird Awesome 1108)

A lot of people believe Friday the 13th is bad luck, and that comes from a lot of legends and traditions. But a guy in 19th Century New York decided to rep this maligned number by flouting superstition and holding regular meals for what he called the Thirteen Club.

By |2023-10-13T09:26:41-04:00October 13, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , |

Before There Were Chicken McNuggets, McDonald’s Tried Selling Onion Nuggets (Cool Weird Awesome 1035)

Today is National Onion Day. For a very brief time in the 1970s, the preeminent fast food chain on Earth thought the onion might be its pathway to bigger sales. Here's the story of the McDonald's Onion Nugget.

The Ferris Wheel Was Designed To Show Up The Eiffel Tower (Cool Weird Awesome 906)

Today in 1892, an engineering team working on Chicago’s Columbian Exposition approved a design for a giant metal wheel that could give rides to passengers. Here's the story of the Ferris wheel and how it was partly intended to one-up a certain iconic structure from the previous World's Fair.

By |2024-02-26T07:52:54-05:00December 16, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

The Birth Of The Blinking Cursor (Cool Weird Awesome 905)

Today in 1930, the inventor of the computer cursor was born. It’s one of those creations that’s so small and common that it’s easy to forget what a big deal it really is.

By |2023-12-15T09:18:28-05:00December 15, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

The Time Chicago Had To Be Raised Fourteen Feet

Today in 1837 an act to incorporate the city of Chicago passed. A decade or two later, thousands of workers helped raise many of its buildings up 14 feet to make way for a badly needed wastewater and stormwater system.

By |2022-03-04T06:26:49-05:00March 4, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

The Chicago Cubs Once Had A “College of Coaches” Instead of a Manager (Cool Weird Awesome 693)

Today in 1961, the Chicago Cubs announced they wouldn't hire a manager for the new season, and would instead use a rotating "College" of coaches. You can probably guess how well that worked out.

By |2024-01-12T10:07:19-05:00January 12, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , , |
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