Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

Today in 1874, the debut of the Sholes and Glidden desk typewriter. This was not the first typewriter, but it was the first one to become a hit with customers. It’s also the reason that so many English language keyboards don’t read ABCDEFG but QWERTY. Plus: today in Illinois, it’s the Elizabeth Freedom Festival. A brief history of the QWERTY keyboard (CNET)Elizabeth Freedom Festival Type the address of our Patreon page into your browser, and then back our show

It's National Soda Pop Day, so we're going to tell the origin story of the name 7UP... or we would if there was one. The guy who created the soda never explained what the name meant, even though there have been lots of theories. Plus: we wrap up Pride Month with a visit to Toronto, which is home to the World's Longest Rainbow Road. Untangling the Lie of the 7Up Origin Story (The Soda Fountain)World’s Largest Rainbow Road (Atlas Obscura)Back our clear, cool and refreshing podcast today on Patreon

There's a cathedral in southwestern England with a remarkable medieval astronomical clock, and on a door that leads into the workings of this clock there's a small medieval hole that carpenters cut so that the cathedral's cat could go in and out while on mouse patrol. Of course people in modern times love it. Plus: for National Day in Seychelles, the story of the world's smallest national park. The World’s Oldest Cat Door Has Been Letting Working Cats Enter the Cathedral Since the 14th Century (My Modern Met)Moyenne Island: The world's smallest national park (BBC)Back this show on our Patreon page before the next chime of that astronomical clock

Today in 1931, a scientist in Florida brought home a baby chimpanzee. Already at home: a human baby. And the scientist decided he would raise the two little ones in the exact same way to see how chimp and human measured up. Plus: starting today in Minnesota, it’s Akeley Paul Bunyan Days. This Guy Simultaneously Raised a Chimp and a Baby in Exactly the Same Way To See What Would Happen (Smithsonian)Akeley Paul Bunyan Days Humans, chimps and so on, let’s all join together to back this show on Patreon

We’re in a time of huge technological changes… but today we’re talking about an upgrade that's relatively small. Or, at least, the users of this particular new tech are small. And ratty. Plus: starting Saturday in Duluth, Minnesota, it’s the Chum Rhubarb Festival. BYU engineering students design new wearable tech for search and rescue rats... yes, rats! (Brigham Young University)Chum Rhubarb Fest 2026 Our Patreon backers are the ones carrying this show on their backs

Around this time in 2004, the end of a decade-long court challenge. It was about a guy who turned up at casinos and beat the house at roulette, thanks to a lot of observation and a lot of calculation. Plus: this weekend in Wisconsin, it’s the Ellsworth Cheese Curd Festival. Court backs gambler (The Age)Ellsworth Cheese Curd FestivalBacking our show on Patreon is always a safe bet

Today in 1959, groundbreaking for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis. The Gateway Arch has a unique design that mostly supports its own weight. Or at least that's what the math tells us. Plus: some one-star reviews of the Arch find it too archy. How the St. Louis Arch Stands Against All Odds (HowStuffWorks)Wild one-star Google reviews of the Gateway Arch (FOX 2 Now)Our Patreon site is ready for your very precise and mathematical support

For National Kissing Day, we look at the history of kissing, which goes back so far that it probably predates humans. Plus: starting this Saturday, it’s the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races. Who Kissed First? Archaeology Has an Answer. (New York Times)Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races (Discover Hong Kong)Backing our show on Patreon is as sweet as a kiss, or something

This week we're replaying some of our most delicious episodes. In this one from September 2020, the story of a man in Illinois, a president of the United States, and the sandwich that’s a link between them. Plus: Calm Office offered a soundscape of clicking computer keys, fax machines, and people talking for those who missed background noise in the early days of the pandemic. Watch now: Richard Nixon ate a sandwich in Sullivan 60 years ago. Here’s the story of the man who kept it. (Decatur Herald&Review)Because People Miss The Office Sounds (Neatorama)Keep us going for (maybe) 60 years as a backer on Patreon!

This week we're replaying some of our most delicious episodes. In this one from March 2021, researchers find something surprising: choosing a hot sandwich instead of a cold one might help keep you from ordering extra food. Plus: an unusual performance of Guiseppi Verdi’s opera Aida at the base of the Great Pyramid in Egypt! Consumers Buy More Food When They Order Cold Meals and Drinks, Reports Rutgers‒Camden Researcher (Rutgers-Camden)Today in 1912 ‘Aida’ opens in open-air production beneath the Great Pyramid (Victorian Masculinity)It would be fun to go out for a hot sandwich, chips and a drink with our Patreon backers

This week we're replaying some of our most delicious episodes. In this one from November 2022, a sandwich in New York was maybe the worst of all time, though it wasn't ever really intended to be eaten. Plus: Billy Ocean hit it big with the song "Caribbean Queen," but in other parts of the world, that queen is from places other than the Caribbean. To Evade Pre-Prohibition Drinking Laws, New Yorkers Created the World’s Worst Sandwich (Atlas Obscura)Billy Ocean – European Queen (Discogs)Our Patreon backers make this show the best

This week we're replaying some of our most delicious episodes. In this one from April 2024, a look at the sandwich rivalry between Tampa and Miami, Florida. Each city claims to be home to the authentic Cuban sandwich. Plus: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hosts the 2024 Artisan Guitar Show. Tampa vs. Miami: The Fight for the Cuban Sandwich (Delish)  Artisan Guitar Show A tasty way to start the weekend is to back our show on Patreon

Back in 1976, a sandwich run that topped them all, when Elvis Presley flew from Graceland to Denver for a sandwich. Of course, giant sandwiches are only one part of the world of Elvis food.Elvis Presley’s “Fool’s Gold” sandwich was born in Denver (Denver Post)A Dish Fit for a King (NPR)Well you can do anything but don’t step on our Patreon backers’ shoes

There were travelers before GPS and navigation apps, even in the early days of the US. And some of them turned to a set of paper maps that became the first US road atlas. Plus: tomorrow in Battle Creek, Michigan, it’s the National Cereal Fest. An 18th Century Survey of the Roads of the United States of America (Library of Congress)National Cereal Fest in Battle Creek, MIWe’ve mapped it out, and our backers on Patreon are the ones who make this show possible

Today in 1971, pilot Sheila Scott began her third flight around the world. Those three flights are only a few of the accomplishments of this award-winning, record breaking pilot. Plus: starting tomorrow in Wisconsin, it’s the New Glarus Polkafest. Sheila Scott: The first British pilot to fly around the world (National Museums Scotland) NEW GLARUS POLKAFEST Fly on over to our Patreon page and support our show for just $1 a month

Today in 2022, the world celebrated the end of a major international conflict. It involved two countries, one island, an international border... and a whole lot of liquor bottles. Plus: today in 2016, Summerville, South Carolina became home to the record for the world’s largest sweet tea. Canada and Denmark end decades-long dispute over barren rock in Arctic (The Guardian)Summerville, South Carolina: World's Largest Sweet Tea (Roadside America)Once again we raise a toast to our backers on Patreon

It was likely this week in 1752 that Benjamin Franklin famously flew a kite in a thunderstorm. The story of this experiment has been changed and twisted over time, so we'll sort out facts from myth, and figure out why and how Franklin was doing what he was doing. Plus: today in 1961, the birthday of Michael J. Fox, whose acting career took off like lightning despite the best efforts of one of his early bosses. Benjamin Franklin flies kite during thunderstorm (History.com)Michael J Fox nearly lost a TV series because of a producer's strange belief (Virgin Radio)Our Patreon backers are key to our success

Today in 1959 may have been the day the US government completed a secret report that suggested one way to win the Cold War space race: build a base on the Moon. Plus: congratulations to Richard Delcid of Manassas, Virginia, who just won the "World's Fastest Pizza Maker" contest in Las Vegas. U.S. reveals secret plans for ’60s moon base (CNN)‘I didn’t know I could go that fast’: Virginia pizza maker breaks record (WTOP)Help launch this show higher and higher as a backer on Patreon

Today is Denmark’s Constitution Day. That document broadly guarantees the right to personal expression, including burning the country’s flag. But doing that same thing to other countries’ flags is 100 percent against the law. Plus: starting today, it's the Georgia Peach Festival. History and Debate of Flag Burning (Debate.org)Georgia Peach Festival Exercise your right to back our show on Patreon

Today in 1991, a rare early print of the Declaration of Independence went up for auction, and the story of how it came up for sale is pretty weird. Plus: starting tomorrow in Pasadena, California, it's the 17th annual Classic Tetris World Championship.Did a Bargain Hunter Find Original Print of Declaration of Independence? (Snopes)Classic Tetris World Championship You can back our show on Patreon for even less each month than that painting cost!

This is Museum Week, and while a lot of us love visiting these institutions, some people dropped by some of the best museums in the whole world and they weren’t feeling it. For reasons. Plus: starting Friday in Collinsville, Illinois, the International Horseradish Festival. 15 Hilariously Terrible Reviews of Wonderful Museums (Mental Floss)  International Horseradish Festival We give our Patreon backers 10 out of 5 stars

Today in 1975, the city of London had some unexpected weather. At a time the calendar might have suggested summery weather… it snowed. Plus: this Saturday in North Carolina, it’s Asheville HoneyFest. London weather: What happened the strange time it snowed in London in the middle of summer (MyLondon.news)Asheville HoneyFest 2026 (Center for Honeybee Research)Our Patreon backers support this show rain or shine

It’s Dinosaur Day, so we’re headed to a spot in Bolivia where you can see thousands of dinosaur tracks all at once, in an almost inexplicable setting. Plus: this weekend at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana, it’s Limestone Weekend. The Incredible Dinosaur Wall of Bolivia (Kuriositas)Limestone Weekend, Spring Mill State Park Join our wall of fame, so to speak, as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1856, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech that was so powerful, so unforgettable, that nobody documented it and so now it’s known as Lincoln’s “Lost Speech.” Plus: today in 1917, the birthday of John F. Kennedy, who used the power of words as a 10 year old to ask his dad to raise his allowance. Abraham Lincoln's Lost Speech (RogerJNorton.com)A Plea for a raise (Letters of Note)Don’t wait four score and seven years to back our show on Patreon

Today in 1974, the start of the National Hockey League draft. It’s remembered today as the time hockey’s Buffalo Sabres made a groundbreaking choice: the first time a team drafted someone who didn’t exist. Plus: starting today, Durant, Oklahoma is kicking off its Magnolia Festival. Unknown Stories of WNY: The man behind the Legend of Taro Tsujimoto (WGRZ)Magnolia Festival of Durant OKYou’re a somebody, join our community of backers on Patreon

Today in 1937, the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco - or, more accurately, the beginning of the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge. The city was so pumped, the celebrations went on for days. Plus: starting Friday in Pennsylvania, it’s the Johnstown PolkaFest. The 1937 Golden Gate Bridge Opening Was Completely Bananas (KQED)Johnstown PolkaFest Open up our Patreon page and back the show today

Today in 1936, the St. Louis Globe Daily Democrat newspaper had a headline you might not expect: "Robot Warns Pedestrians of Red Light Crossing Danger." We'll explain. Plus: on the birthday Lenny Kravitz, the story of the time a job seeker apparently tried to put his meeting with the musician to professional use. This 'Voice in a Box' Warned Pedestrians About Jaywalking in 1936 (Paleofuture)  love letters as writing samples, the candidate who spoke Pirate, and other tales of amazing resumes (Ask A Manager) Attention pedestrians! Back our show on Patreon today!

For today’s holiday we wanted to replay an episode from 2020 about the speech future president James A. Garfield gave at the first Memorial Day event at Arlington National Cemetery in 1868. It was, shall we say, not a short speech. ⁠10 Things To Remember About Memorial Day⁠ (Mental Floss)

This week in 2023, some students in Fort Meade, Maryland, tried to wrap up their time in school in a big way… by trying to put the school up for sale. Plus: New Orleans hosts what is believed to be its first opera, on the way to becoming the "Opera Capital of North America."Pranksters list Anne Arundel County high school on Zillow for $42,069. Nice. (Baltimore Banner) 10 Ridiculously Weird But Totally True Facts About Louisiana (Only In Your State)If buying a high school isn’t your idea of a great deal, try backing our show on Patreon for just $1 a month

Today in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman and only the second person to make a nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. But she wasn’t the first female pilot - in fact, she learned to fly from another well-known woman aviator. Plus: around this time in 2006, a park in Boston got an odd new addition now known as the Jamaica Pond Bench. Neta Snook (Ames History)What’s up with the bizarre U-shaped bench in Jamaica Plain? (Boston.com) Wing on over to our Patreon page and back our show

Today in 1873, Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis received a patent for what the paperwork called "Improvement in Fastening Pocket-Openings.” Their blue jeans were originally meant for people when they were out working in really hard, tough jobs. And ironically, that’s what ended up making jeans popular for everyday use. Plus: the Netherlands has a job for people on the internet! How Blue Jeans Began—And Then Conquered US Closets (History.com)Did you spot a fish? Press the Fish Doorbell! Sing the praises of pants and then back our show on Patreon

Today in 1946, the birthday of professional wrestling’s Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant. What a movie they could make about this guy’s life, and arguably the weirdest scene would be the time he came to Baghdad to wrestle in front of a future Iraqi dictator. Plus: it's Lettuce Month, which means it's time for the annual lettuce eating contest for the University of Minnesota's Lettuce Club. The Sheikh of Baghdad (from Weird Minnesota by Eric Dregni (via Google Books) Lettuce Club at University of Minnesota has lettuce eating contest (The Minnesota Daily)Anybody want a peanut? Or anybody want to back our show on Patreon?

For International Museum Day, we look back at the first museum, which came into the world around 2500 years ago thanks to one very prominent and very busy princess. Plus: a traffic camera system in New York City tries to issue a speeding ticket for a replica car in a museum in northern Illinois.The Woman Who Opened the World’s First Museum in 500 BCE (Messy Nessy Chic)Illinois’ Volo Auto Museum baffled as KITT replica receives NYC speeding ticket (MyStateline)Keep our museum-quality podcast episodes coming as a backer on Patreon

This week we're replaying some short episodes about long races. In this one from March 2024, Japanese athlete Shizo Kanakuri begins a marathon in 1912... and finishes in 1967. Plus: a college student emails the professor with a question and gets a reply quite a long time after the course was over. Better late than never for Japan’s first, “slowest” Olympian (Japan Times)Hannah Jung For all the people that think they are bad at responding to emails (Hannah Jung on Twitter via Bored Panda)Don’t wait to back our show on Patreon – tomorrow you’ll get an exclusive supporters-only bonus episode

This week we're replaying some short episodes about long races. In this one from April 2021, Jessica Anderson sets a world record in the London Marathon, though one that wasn’t recognized as such right away. Plus: NoseID is a pet identification system that can help out a lost dog in record time. Woman Denied ‘Fastest Nurse’ Record Because She Didn’t Wear a Dress, Later Awarded Title (Sports Illustrated)NoseID can scan your dog’s unique nose print to help find them if they get lost (It’s Nice That)Our Patreon backers set a world record every day for being amazing

This week we're replaying some short episodes about long races. In this one from July 2021, a look at the men’s marathon from the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. You couldn’t write a weirder race than this one. Plus: American athletes took home a record 239 medals at the 1904 Games, for one very unusual reason. Running a marathon was never crazier or harder than during the 1904 St Louis Olympics (ABC Australia)8 Unusual Facts About the 1904 St. Louis Olympics (History.com)Supporting our show isn’t a marathon process, just back us on Patreon!

This week we're replaying some short episodes about long races. In this one from July 2019, Cynthia Arnold of Missoula, Montana ran the Missoula Marathon while pushing a six year old, a four year old and a one year old in a triple stroller. Plus: Tony Fisher bought some salami and did the only logical thing with it: construct a 2x2x2 Rubik’s Cube out of it.Mom Runs 3:11 Marathon With a Triple Stroller While Pushing 185 Pounds (Runners World)Real Salami Sausage 2x2x2 Rubik’s Cube (Tony Fisher on YouTube)Go the extra mile with Cool Weird Awesome as a backer on Patreon!

This week we're replaying some short episodes about long races. In this one from April 2023, the Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon in 1983 ends up being won by a guy you wouldn’t have expected. Plus: Delaware hosts the Wilmington Coffee Fest. When age and modesty won the race (Sydney Morning Herald)The 61-Year-Old Shepherd Who Shuffled His Way to an Unlikely Ultra Win (Adventure Journal via Archive.org)Wilmington Coffee FestOur Patreon backers get us to the finish line every time, join them with your support today!

Colleges and universities all seem to have their own particular customs and traditions, but few have made students take a vow against one guy, as the University of Oxford did for centuries. Plus: today in 2018, some 18,000 people in Mexico City set a record for a particular type of photo. The persistence of tradition: the curious case of Henry Symeonis (Oxford Bodleian Library) 18,000 Mexicans get naked (NBC News)Take a vow today to back our show on Patreon

National Train Day is this Saturday, and that may be an opportune time to drop by Budapest, Hungary, which is home to an entire train service run by children. Plus: starting today in Louisiana, it’s the Rayne Frog Festival. The Budapest Children’s Railway (Kottke)  Rayne Frog Festival (Rayne Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture) Keep this show on the tracks as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1927, the birthday of Edsel Ford Fong, who became an institution in San Francisco’s Chinatown. People said he was the rudest waiter in the world… and they loved him for it (!) Plus: a new installation at a modern art museum in Berlin lets visitors build with hundreds of thousands of wooden blocks. Memories, anecdotes and snippets through time of Sam Wo (SFGate.com via Archive.org) Lina Lapelytė Fills Hamburger Bahnhof with 400,000 Wood Blocks for Communal Building (Colossal)It would be very nice of you to back our show on Patreon

Today in 1924, the Olympic Games were underway in Paris. And it was at these Games that a former Olympian swimming champion won a medal far outside the water. Plus: Clinton, Iowa has unveiled a series of wooden sculptures around town that nod to the community’s history with timber. 5 Odd Events from the 1924 Games We Will Sorely Miss at the Paris Olympics (Outside Online)Experience the Thomas Dambo Trolls in Clinton (Grow Clinton)Be a champion when you back this show on Patreon

For Orange Juice Day, the story of how the Florida Department of Citrus teamed up with Marvel Comics to create a superhero that promotes orange growers. Plus: NASA teams up with the alphabet for a new public tool called Your Name In Landsat.The Story of Marvel's New Branded Superhero, Captain Citrus (AdWeek)This tool from NASA uses fractions of the earths surface, taken by satellite, to spell out your name. (Present & Correct via Bluesky)You could be a superhero for our show as a backer on Patreon

Today in 1897, the start of an event which gave the city of Nashville a pretty memorable structure: a full-scale exact replica of the Parthenon. Plus: if you like to go to fairs mostly for the food, you may want to head today to Springfield, Missouri for the Corndog Kickoff. About the Parthenon (Nashville Parthenon)Corndog Kickoff (Ozark Empire Fairgrounds)It’s all Greek to me how crowdfunding works but maybe back our show on Patreon anyway

Today in 1934, the birthday of Mario Segale, a real estate developer in the Seattle area who ended up playing a pretty big role in video game history. Plus: today, Springfield, Missouri begins the Route 66 Centennial Kickoff. Mario Segale, Seattle-area real estate developer who inspired Nintendo’s Super Mario, dies at 84 (Seattle Times)Everything You Need to Know About the Route 66 Centennial Kickoff in Springfield, Missouri in 2026 (Visit Springfield, Missouri)Let’s-a go over to this show’s Patreon page so you can drop a few of those gravity-defying Mario coins in there

Today in 1999, the birthday of Tama the cat, who is likely the only cat who ever saved a train line in rural Japan from shutting down. Plus: this weekend in Pennsylvania, it’s the Lititz Pretzel Fest. The cat who saved a Japanese rail line (BBC)Lititz Pretzel Fest We don’t have a cat, but our show does have great backers on Patreon. Join them today

Today in 2018, the official Twitter account for the country of Sweden made a shocking admission: the country’s culinary signature, Swedish meatballs, originally came from outside Sweden! Plus: this Saturday is Free Comic Book Day. And for the first time in a long time, kids in Sacramento, California will be able to legally take part. Swedish meatballs originally Turkish dish: Swedish government (Hurriyet Daily News) Sacramento City Council repeals kids’ comic book ban (FOX 40)Feed our podcast as a backer on Patreon

It's King’s Day in the Netherlands; maybe a few people will makr the holiday by taking part in a sport in which people essentially pole vault over water. Plus: there's a new installation at the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco that includes a lot of imagination and a bit of upcycling. What is Fierljeppen? A look at the Netherlands' extreme canal vaulting sport (EuroNews)Obsolete Compact Discs Are Transformed Into Towering, Shimmering Sculptures (My Modern Met)Leap on over to our Patreon page and support this show today

This week we're replaying some of our favorite shows about the stuff that makes the world go round. In this episode from April 2022, a visit to a room at the Arkansas State Capitol where you can hold the state’s money in your hands. Plus: Albuquerque, New Mexico hosts the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest. Arkansas Treasurer’s Office: About UsSouthwest Chocolate & Coffee FestOur Patreon backers put money into the show and make every episode possible

This week we're replaying some of our favorite shows about the stuff that makes the world go round. In this episode from January 2020, the story of how printing enthusiast Benjamin Franklin used his cleverness and creativity to try to head off the big problem of counterfeiters. Plus: New Orleans hosts the Samantha Fish Cigar Box Guitar Festival.Library of Congress exhibit explores early American notes (Coin World)Samantha Fish stops by to talk cigar box festival (WGNO)You can support Cool Weird Awesome on Patreon for just $1 a month! No counterfeit bills, please.