The Internet Says it’s True

Originally released November 14, 2022. A recent government auction listed a "1989 Airstream Executive Air Coach" with little to no details about its history. Internet sleuths soon discovered that the RV was an important part of space exploration history!  Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at  h...

Originally released December 28, 2020 . Many Americans have heard of the age-honored German tradition of hanging Pickle-shaped ornament on the Christmas Tree. But is it really a tradition in Germany? This episode explores the truth and myths behind this German "tradition." Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and conte...

Originally released August 15, 2022. In 1939, as many as 22,000 Americans met for a Nazi rally in New York's Madison Square Garden. It was an event of the German-American Bund and attendees cheered while listening to anti-semitic, Nazi-sympathizing speeches. It's hard to believe that this type of thing could happen in America, but it's true. In this episode, we examine the event and then play the...

Originally released February 14, 2022. Prior to the Civil War, the United States Army experimented with using Camels to transport cargo through the American West. The Camel Corps program would have been considered largely successful if it weren't for the war. In this episode, we tell the story about how the camels were acquired, tested and the unlikely person who spearheaded the endeavor. Then we...

Originally released May 31, 2021. When Adobe announced it would be discontinuing Flash in 2017, developers started replacing it with newer, more robust software. But one railroad system in Dalian, China didn't get the memo. When it was finally globally disabled in January of 2021, the entire railroad was disabled. In this episode, I get nostalgic about the good ole' days of flash animation, then t...

Did you know that London Bridge is in Arizona? In this episode, we talk about the history of London Bridge, it's several iterations and how it came to exist in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Then we play the quiz with Comedian, Writer and Actor Dan Wilbur! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at  http://Pa...

When the Captain of a yacht was rescued in the Atlantic Ocean, he told a story about how everyone else perished when the yacht sank. Then one of the other members of the party - an 11-year old girl - was rescued and told the truth. And the story that little Terry Jo Duperrault told was very different than the Captain's. She had experienced a harrowing scene of murder, then lived at sea for days be...

There's an incredibly strange legend surrounding the port city of Hartlepool, England. The legend involves how the town decided to hang a monkey for being a French Spy. In this episode, we examine whether or not there's any truth to the legend, the way the town celebrates, and an unusual Mayoral race. Then we yap yap with Comedy Magician Ben Young! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com...

It's Halloween! And for this spooky holiday, we've compiled 5 of our spookiest episodes! Enjoy hearing about: - a man who should be famous for inventing a veterinary device, but instead became famous for murder - a popular Mexican dish that has its origins in human sacrifice - a strange way that Victorian English people used mummies - what happened to the mummified remains of an unidentified man -...

The World's Littlest Skyscraper is a 100-year old office building in the small city of Wichita Falls, Texas. It was built in 1919 and surprised everyone when it was completed, because they were expecting to see the 6th largest building in the world. Instead, they got a 4-story tiny brick structure. In this episode, we find out how it came about and how J.D. McMahon swindled a bunch of investors du...

In 2009 and again in 2023, Warren Beatty shows up on TV in the middle of the night on an obscure interview-style show. He's dressed as his 1990 Dick Tracy character and the appearances are just BIZARRE. That's because they have one sole purpose: to keep the Dick Tracy rights in Beatty's name. In this episode, we talk about the Dick Tracy movie and this crazy ploy to keep the rights out of pure spi...

The cause of death of famed American Author Edgar Allan Poe has been a mystery for 174 years. But could it have been the result of a form of election fraud? In this episode, we talk about election fraud throughout history, including recent claims, then tell the story about the mysterious conditions surrounding the  death of "The Raven" author. Then we chat with Food & Travel Writer, Nick "Dr....

Ignaz Semmelweis was a Hungarian Physician who hypothesized about the importance of washing hands for hygiene. It was a very particular case study in Vienna that led him to his conclusion, but no one took him seriously. It wasn't until after his death that he was recognized as a medical revolutionary. In this episode, we talk about the story, including the case study that led Semmelweis to his bel...

Joy Milne found that her husband had a particular smell. Something she couldn't place, but something that was off. It turns out that Joy could actually smell his Parkinson's Disease long before he was ever diagnosed. In this episode, we talk about how both dogs and humans can sniff out illness in an almost miraculous way! Then we chat with Mentalist, Author and Speaker Jonathan Pritchard.   Review...

Imagine tying a bunch of rafts together, floating it in the ocean, and then claiming it was an independent island nation. That's exactly what Ernest Hemingway's youngest brother, Leicester did in 1964. In this episode, we learn about his quest to establish the island nation of "New Atlantis." Then we chat with the guy behind "614 Feast," Anthony O'Connell. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.a...

As a thank you to our listeners, and as part of a patron drive, we're releasing excerpts from Joke/Story/Trick, a live web show with amazing guests telling incredible stories. In this special bonus episode, we hear stories from Comedians Dan Wilbur, Amma Marfo and Jonathan Burns. When you join our Patreon at http://patreon.com/michaelkent, you get access to all 60 of these full length video episod...

During game 2 of the 1990 World Series, the Cincinnati Reds faced an unusual problem. They couldn't find one of their pitchers. In this episode, we tell the story of Tom Browning and why he went missing during this iconic baseball game. Then stay tuned for a special trivia section for listeners at the end! Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1...

As a thank you to our listeners, and as part of a patron drive, we're releasing excerpts from Joke/Story/Trick, a live web show with amazing guests telling incredible stories. In this special bonus episode, we hear stories from Celebrity comedy Writer Bruce Vilanch, Comedian & Actor Hal Sparks and and TV Journalist Cameron Fontana. When you join our Patreon at http://patreon.com/michaelkent, y...

Imagine living through one disaster at sea, only to suffer another disaster months later, then again...and again, again and again. Arthur John Priest survived as many as 4 sinking ships and 6 total sea disasters in his short career as a coal stoker. His tale is one of luck. Whether you choose to see it as bad luck or good luck depends on your point of view. But this is an amazing story either way....

As a thank you to our listeners, and as part of a patron drive, we're releasing excerpts from Joke/Story/Trick, a live web show with amazing guests telling incredible stories. In this special bonus episode, we hear stories from United States Congressman Mark Pocan, Comedy Writer Jimmy Mak and Comedy Magician Chipper Lowell. When you join our Patreon at http://patreon.com/michaelkent, you get acces...

When Brendan Grimshaw bought a tiny island in the Seychelles for £8,000 in the early 60s, he was just looking for a home. That eventually turned into a lifelong obsession with preservation and protection. This is the story of how he created the world's smallest national park. In this episode, we tell the story, then play the quiz with hypnotist Jason Linett. Review this podcast at https://podcasts...

Originally released July 25, 2022. Did a radio broadcast about Aliens cause mass Hysteria in America in 1938? The Internet Says...maybe. Orson Welles's radio performance of H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds has become infamous as causing panic throughout the U.S. when people thought it was a real news report. But is the story overblown? In this episode, we talk about the radio play and its reception....

Originally released March 21, 2022. Tsutomu Yamaguchi was one of the only people to survive both the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. He was the only one officially recognized as a double survivor by the Japanese government. In this episode, we tell his remarkable tale of survival. Then we chat with comedian Dan Wilbur. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

Originally released May 23, 2021. In our history, we've had at least 32 "Broken Arrow" incidents: instances of nuclear weapons accidents that don't cause a nuclear war. One of those was in 1958, in which an Air Force B-47 Bomber almost nuked Mars Bluff, South Carolina. In this episode, we talk about the B-47, it's staggering 10% loss rate and the Mars Bluff incident. Then we catch up with actor an...

First released November 2, 2020. Willy Higinbotham is considered by many to be the inventor of the world's first video game. But there's more - he was also on the team that helped create the world's first nuclear bomb! In this episode we explore Willy's game, "Tennis for Two" and chat with former video game developer and professional magician, Nick Locapo. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.a...