Futility Closet

Forgotten stories from the pages of history. Join us for surprising and curious tales from the past and challenge yourself with our lateral thinking puzzles.

365 episodes transcribed
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History

303-Camp Stark

Episode Date: July 13, 2020

In 1943, the U.S. established a camp for German prisoners of war near the village of Stark in northern New Hampshire. After a rocky start, the relati...

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History

301-Tschiffely's Ride

Episode Date: June 29, 2020

In 1925, Swiss schoolteacher Aimé Tschiffely set out to prove the resilience of Argentina's criollo horses by riding two of them from Buenos Aires to...

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History

296-The Little Giants

Episode Date: May 18, 2020

In 1957, 14 boys from Monterrey, Mexico, walked into Texas to take part in a game of Little League baseball. What followed surprised and inspired two...

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History

293-Lennie Gwyther

Episode Date: April 27, 2020

In 1932, 9-year-old Lennie Gwyther set out to ride a thousand kilometers to see the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Along the way he became a s...

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History

292-Fordlandia

Episode Date: April 20, 2020

In 1927, Henry Ford decided to build a plantation in the Amazon to supply rubber for his auto company. The result was Fordlandia, an incongruous Midw...

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History

291-Half-Safe

Episode Date: April 13, 2020

In 1946, Australian engineer Ben Carlin decided to circle the world in an amphibious jeep. He would spend 10 years in the attempt, which he called an...

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History

290-Voss' Last Stand

Episode Date: April 5, 2020

In 1917, German pilot Werner Voss had set out for a patrol over the Western Front when he encountered two flights of British fighters, including seve...

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History

289-The Johnstown Flood

Episode Date: March 30, 2020

In 1889, a dam failed in southwestern Pennsylvania, sending 20 million tons of water down an industrialized valley toward the unsuspecting city of Jo...

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History

286-If Day

Episode Date: March 2, 2020

In 1942, Manitoba chose a startling way to promote the sale of war bonds -- it staged a Nazi invasion of Winnipeg. For one gripping day, soldiers cap...