An Old Timey Podcast
Episodes
83: The D.B. Cooper Investigation Takes Off (Part 2)
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Thanksgiving Eve, 1971, D.B. Cooper parachuted into the night’s sky with $200k in ransom money. That night, the FBI launched their investigation ...
82: D.B. Cooper’s Infamous Hijacking (Part 1)
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode kicks off our coverage of the only unsolved airplane hijacking in United States history. On November 24, 1971, a nondescript man boarde...
81: Blinded By The Spite: The Richardson Spite House
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Spite Houses: The architectural equivalent of a middle finger. They’re structures or dwellings designed specifically to piss someone off. This week,...
80: Grandma Gatewood Keeps on Walking (Part 3)
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It had been exhausting. It had been challenging. But Emma Gatewood refused to give up on her dream to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. So? She ke...
79: Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail (Part 2)
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Emma Gatewood was embarrassed. Her first attempt at solo hiking the Appalachian Trail had been a disaster. But she was nothing if not determined. So, ...
78: Grandma Gatewood Takes One Hell of a Walk (Part 1)
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Emma Gatewood set off on the Appalachian Trail, she didn’t look like much of a hiker. She was 67 years old. She wore a pair of Keds. She had no...
77: The Ann & Abby Feud Goes Intergenerational (Part 4)
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of our series on Ann Landers and Dear Abby, the feud reached new heights when Abby fell victim to a “gotcha” moment on Charli...
76: Bad Blood: Ann Landers, Dear Abby Feud Goes Public (Part 3)
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For a few years, the feud between twin sisters Ann Landers and Dear Abby was an industry secret. That changed in 1958, when Life Magazine printed a st...
75: Advice Column Rivals: Dear Abby and Ann Landers (Part 2)
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ann Landers was thrilled. She’d just landed a job as the new syndicated advice columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Her new role gave Ann something ...
74: Family Feud: Dear Abby vs. Ann Landers (Part 1)
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, Dear Abby and Ann Landers were the undisputed queens of advice columns. They had millions of loyal readers. They were celebrated public f...
73: The Pet Rock: A Fad is Born (Patreon Bonus)
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wipe your slate clean of everything you *think* you know about the pet rock. You’ll marble (err, marvel) over its true history! Its inventor, Gary D...
72: Last Man Standing: Hiroo Onoda Finally Surrenders (Part 3)
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It took countless efforts and nearly three decades to convince Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda that World War II was over. When those efforts finally pa...
71: Hiroo Onoda Fights a Non-Existent War (Part 2)
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
World War II was over. (Really. Truly.) But a group of Japanese soldiers stationed on Lubang Island in the Philippines weren’t convinced. They didn’...
70: The Japanese Soldier Who Refused to Surrender (Part 1)
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a second lieutenant in the Japanese Army, Hiroo Onoda took his job seriously. He’d been ordered to lead guerilla warfare missions on Lubang Islan...
69: Judgement Day for the Donner Party (Part 5)
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the finale of our series on The Donner Party, rescue groups head off for Truckee Lake and Alder Creek, hoping to save as many survivors as they cou...
68: The Donner Party Resorts to Cannibalism (Part 4)
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By the winter of 1846, the Donner Party found themselves in the exact scenario they’d been dreading. They were trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountain...
67: The Donner Party Falls Apart (Part 3)
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
By the time they realized what they’d done, it was too late. Hastings Cutoff turned out to not be much of a cutoff at all. In fact, it was more time...
66: Warnings and Lies: The Deception of the Donner Party (Part 2)
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Donner Party was at a crossroads. They’d made good progress on their journey to California, but they were still about a week behind schedule. La...
65: The Donner Party: An American Tragedy (Part 1)
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode kicks off our coverage of an infamous American tragedy – the Donner Party. In the mid-1800’s, a group that would later be known as t...
64: The Bath School Disaster (Part 2)
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To this day, the Bath School Disaster of 1927 remains the deadliest mass murder in a school in American history, yet it isn’t often discussed. In ...
63: The Bath School Disaster (Part 1)
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was unspeakable. Unthinkable. In 1927, a school board member set off a series of explosions that killed 38 children, 6 adults, and injured at least...
62: Disco Demolition Night Didn’t Stop the Boogie
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the late 70s, disco was everywhere. Songs like “Disco Inferno,” “I Will Survive” and “Brick House” topped the charts. Disco had been cr...
61: AAirpass: American Airlines’ Best Worst Idea
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In 1981, American Airlines offered an incredible deal. For just $250k, people could purchase a lifetime pass that entitled them to unlimited first cla...
60: An Iron Rod Through the Head (Patreon Bonus)
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Here’s a true story: In 1848, an iron rod shot through a man’s head. It smashed up under his cheekbone and came out the top of his skull. Ready ...
59: The Original Kardashians! (Patreon Bonus)
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Back in their day, the seven Sutherland sisters were a household name. They were celebrated for their outrageously long, thick hair. For years, audien...
58: The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (Patreon Bonus)
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alan Abel was driving down a Texas highway when traffic came to a sudden stop. As it turned out, a herd of cattle was crossing the road. How annoying!...
57: Windshield Wipers! (Patreon Bonus)
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Picture it. Ontario. 1953. It was Robert and Phyllis Kearns’ wedding night. Bob did his best to open the champagne, but the cork shot out and smacke...
56: JC Penney Loses *Almost* Everything (Part 4)
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Great Depression hit James Cash Penney hard. It decimated his finances. It worried him. It humbled him. After some soul searching, he came to real...
55: JC Penney Becomes Rich *and* Cool (Part 3)
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Cash Penney had an ambitious dream. He wanted to own 50 Golden Rule stores. Over the course of just a few years, he achieved that dream and then...
54: JC Penney Was a Hustler! (Part 2)
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Say what you will about James Cash Penney Jr. Just don’t say he didn’t work his booty off. After he left his hometown, James tried desperately to ...
53: Is JCPenney the Best Department Store? (Part 1)
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Normie C starts this series with a bold claim: That JCPenney is the best department store ever. This raises a lot of questions. Questions like… Real...
52: The Creator of Mother's Day Tried to Destroy it
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mother’s Day. When Anna Jarvis founded the holiday, she envisioned it as a day for everyone to honor and thank their mothers. She worked tirelessly ...
51: America Can’t Figure Out Daylight Saving Time (Part 2)
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his final episode on Daylight Saving Time, Norm tells us that America has flip flopped on Daylight Saving Time for decades. We love it! We hate it!...
50: Hello, Sunshine: Why We Have Daylight Saving Time (Part 1)
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“OMG, the sun is up! Shouldn’t you be awake, doing productive things?” … that’s essentially what Benjamin Franklin shouted when he advocated...
49: Cleveland’s Chaotic 10-Cent Beer Night
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the summer of 1974, the Cleveland Indians had a big problem. Hardly anyone showed up for their games. It was embarrassing! So, the team’s managem...
48: The Great Cobra Scare of 1953
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the year of our Lord 1953, the city of Springfield, Missouri, had a terrible problem. Deadly cobras kept popping up in people’s yards! What were ...
47: DP Dupes Us!
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this *very special* episode of an Old Timey Podcast, we got DP’d. Ahem. By that, we mean that Kristin’s dad (aka DP) took over. He renamed th...
46: Robert Smalls: An American Hero (Part 5)
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The final chapter of Robert Smalls’ life was eventful, and, at times, frustrating. He gained and lost government appointments. He won and lost polit...
45: Robert Smalls Battles Bribery Charges (Part 4)
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brace yourselves. This episode is chock-full of post-reconstruction politics. Boy, is it grim! And also a little… relevant? (Ew!) As South Carolina...
44: Robert Smalls Fights For Equality (Part 3)
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After the American Civil War, Robert Smalls navigated the complicated waters of Reconstruction. Black people struggled for basic rights against the Wh...
43: Robert Smalls Fights the Confederacy! (Part 2)
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In part two of our series on Robert Smalls, Robert proves that his ballsy escape from slavery was just part of his story. In this episode, Robert buil...
42: The Daring Escape of Robert Smalls (Part 1)
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As an enslaved man, Robert Smalls had one goal – to attain freedom for himself and his family. The odds were against him. He’d hoped to buy his wi...
41: The Gay Jesus Movie Hoax
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
T’was an OUTRAGE! An Illinois-based company was working on a film about Jesus Christ. The problem? The film would portray Jesus as a drunk bank robb...
40: Nell Donnelly Reed Conquers All (Part 3)
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of this series, we hear how it all shakes out. The trials end. The messy love square between the Donnellys and Reeds implodes. Ka...
39: The Mafia Rescues Nell Donnelly (Part 2)
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James A. Reed was in federal court, about to argue his case, when a call came in from Kansas City. Nell Donnelly had been kidnapped. James panicked. T...
38: The Kidnapping of Nell Donnelly (Part 1)
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was 6 p.m. on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1931. Legendary fashion designer Nell Donnelly was headed home from work. Her chauffeur, George Bl...
37: Stealing the Mona Lisa
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Back in 1911, the Mona Lisa didn’t get a lot of attention. Art critics considered it an excellent example of a painting from the renaissance era, bu...
36: The Murder in Room 1046
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When a dark haired man showed up at the Hotel President one January afternoon in 1935, the hotel staff couldn’t help but take note. He showed up wit...
35: Pocahontas Ends a War (Part 5)
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this final episode of our series on Pocahontas, we see Pocahontas navigate life as a kidnapped young woman. She gets a marriage proposal. She usher...
34: Pocahontas Gets Kidnapped! (Part 4)
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, tensions rise and true crime abounds. And, like an old timey episode of Dateline, it starts off peachy keen! Pocahontas married a war...
33: Was Pocahontas a Spy?? (Part 3)
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chief Wahunsenaca was in a tough spot. English settlers were camped out nearby, desperate for food but heavily armed. He thought he might bring them u...
32: Pocahontas was *not* into John Smith (Part 2)
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When the English popped up on the shore of the “New World,” they were in rough shape. They didn’t have much food, knew next to nothing about the...
31: Pocahontas: More Than a Disney Movie (Part 1)
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years, Pocahontas’ life story has become distorted, sensationalized and mythologized. Hell, it even got turned into an exceptionally crappy...
30: Ya Call This Art??
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Note: Hi friends. We had to say goodbye to our sweet, 17-year-old cat, Boo, this week, so we’re releasing this episode from our Patreon. We’ll be...
29: Frances Perkins Gave Us the Weekend (Part 2)
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Frances Perkins wasn’t just the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. She was also America’s longest serving Secretary of Labor. The onl...
28: Frances Perkins Fights For Workers Rights (Part 1)
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. She’s the reason we have Social Security. She led the fight to end child lab...
27: The Gross History of the Lobotomy
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Walter Jackson Freeman wanted to do something *big.* As a neurologist for the nation’s largest psychiatric hospital, he saw patients who desperately...
26: The 1904 St. Louis Olympics Sucked (Part 2)
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
America’s first Olympic games were bad. But just how bad were they??? The 1904 St. Louis Olympics were part of a World’s Fair that featured huma...
25: How Chicago Lost the 1904 Olympics (Part 1)
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin was embarrassed. He had just revived the Ancient Olympic Games on a global scale. But the 1900 Games in his hometown of ...
24: An 18th Century Robot That…Played Chess??
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wolfgang von Kempelen was unimpressed. Empress Maria Theresa had invited him to attend a magic show, hoping he’d tell her how the tricks worked. Ins...
23: The Great Emu War!
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Picture it! 1932. Western Australia. Emus were taking over. They were gobbling up and trampling farmers’ wheat, and in turn, destroying their liveli...
22: The Story of the Super Soaker!
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lonnie Johnson was a smart guy — a very smart guy. As a NASA engineer, he spent his days coming up with solutions to complex problems. But when he w...
21: Mount Rushmore: Awesome and Awful (Part 4)
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the finale of our Mount Rushmore series, Mount Rushmore National Memorial gets finished. But the final product isn’t quite what Gutzon Borglum en...
20: Wait… Does Mount Rushmore Suck? (Part 3)
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There are so many reasons why Mount Rushmore National Monument *shouldn’t* exist. Right from the start, there was opposition. Environmentalists call...
19: Before Mount Rushmore, There Was Stone Mountain (Part 2)
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Before he set his sights on Mount Rushmore, sculptor Gutzon Borglum had a vision for a massive monument to the Confederacy. He figured that Stone Moun...
18: Mount Rushmore: America’s Weirdest Monument (Part 1)
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this series, we’re talking about something… pretty weird! It’s the fact that, roughly 100 years ago, a handful of people thought it’d be a ...
17: “Hunting Hitler” Broke Norm (Part 5)
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the History Channel’s “Hunting Hitler,” a group of experts embark on a disingenuous investigation into what became of Adolf Hitler. They cons...
16: "Hunting Hitler" is Irresponsible BS (Part 4)
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Put on your tin foil hats, kids! It’s time for “Hunting Hitler.” In previous episodes of this series, Norm covered Hitler’s final days, his ...
15: Anyone Seen Hitler’s Body? (Part 3)
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Reports of Adolf Hitler’s death filled newspapers around the globe, but was he *really* dead? Like, for real?? Misinformation from the Soviet Union...
14: Hitler Goes to Hell! (Part 2)
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In his final days, Adolf Hitler wallowed in self pity, sent children into war, and held tea parties into the wee hours of the morning. He also threw h...
13: Adolf Hitler’s Fart-Filled Bunker (Part 1)
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The History Channel’s “Hunting Hitler” poses really stupid, already answered questions about the death of Adolf Hitler. Normie C is having none ...
12: Lucy Goes Home (Part 7)
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As Lucille Ball grew older, she struggled to keep her career going. She got back into movies. She started another sitcom. But critics were cruel. In a...
11: Lucy and Desi Get Divorced (Part 6)
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After nearly 20 years of marriage, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz called it quits. Their divorce was quick, but it wasn’t simple. They’d grown Desilu...
10: Lucy Loves Communism?? (Part 5)
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lucille Ball had everything she’d ever wanted. She had the #1 show on television. She had a family. She had money. But Lucy was waiting for the othe...
9: "I Love Lucy!" (Part 4)
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz had a goal – to star in a TV show as husband and wife. But there were about a million obstacles in their way. For one th...
8: Lucy’s Career Hits the Fan! (Part 3)
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lucille Ball wanted it all. She wanted to become an A-list actress. She wanted to have children. She wanted a happy marriage. But if the 1940s taught ...
7: Lucy Goes to Hollywood (Part 2)
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lucille Ball arrived in Hollywood ready to work. She honed her craft. She made powerful friends. She got bigger and bigger roles. Soon, she became ...
6: Lucille Ball’s No Good Very Bad Childhood (Part 1)
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lucille Ball was a legendary comedian. She was a studio executive. Together with her real-life husband, Lucy created the modern sitcom. …but let’...
5: John Brown Goes to Court (Part 4)
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
He led a massacre. He led a raid. And now, in the final episode of this series, anti-slavery crusader John Brown goes on trial. His trial had everythi...
4: John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry (Part 3)
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In part three of Norm’s coverage of John Brown, shit *officially* hits the fan. After years of planning, John Brown leads his men in a raid on the f...
3: John Brown’s Sausage Fest (Part 2)
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to part two of Norm’s coverage of famed anti-slavery crusader, John Brown. In this episode, John and his squad prepare for their infamo...
2: Carry A. Nation wasn’t *that* tall
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Good history hoes probably think they know about Carry Nation. She was the woman who busted into saloons with a hatchet and smashed everything to booz...
1: Chaotic Good: John Brown and the Pottawatomie Massacre (Part 1)
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Clear everything off your calendar — this episode is a MEATY BOY! Norm kicks off our first episode by introducing himself as my lover/husband, then ...