Flagpole Sitter!: The Daredevil Clown Who Tried to Put Long Beach in the Record Books

06/18/20 • 17 min

Don't Know Beach About History: Short Histories of Long Beach

In the summer of 1948, a tightrope-walking clown named Ozzie Osborne climbed up the center pole of the Sky Ride attraction at the Pike in Long Beach, California. Sitting 200 feet in the air, Ozzie faced all manner of danger—from night bats to severely swollen legs to a serious challenge from his archrival in San Francisco—as he attempted to break the recognized flagpole-sitting world record of 49 days. Join us as we tell Ozzie’s remarkable story of determination, bravery, and sitting on a flagpole for a really long time.

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Minnie the Whale, Part One: The Absolutely True Tale of the Whale Skeleton Who Came to Town

In May 1897, two teenage boys saw a 63-foot fin whale foundering off the shore near Long Beach, California. With the help of some local donkeys, the boys were able to pull the massive whale on shore. This is the story of that whale and how its skeleton became a beloved local celebrity, helping put Long Beach on the map in the city’s early days. Join us as we follow Minnie’s ever-so-slightly incredible adventures through 20th century Long Beach.

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Babe Ruth Gets Arrested in Long Beach!, Part One

In 1927, legendary baseballer Babe Ruth was arrested before his scheduled appearance at the State Theater, a vaudeville house in Long Beach, California.
In this two-part episode, we take a deep dive into the Sultan of Swat's epic visit to Long Beach--complete with Prohibition-era boozing, duck hunting, and an unhinged plane flight to make it to the show on time--and detail the events that led to the Babe's arrest for violating child labor laws.