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 story that exposed the rivalry. In the article, Abby shared stories that weren’t hers to tell. She talked about Ann’s nose job. She talked about Ann’s broken engagement.

Abby told the reporter, “I understand why she’s disturbed. She wanted to be the first violin in the school orchestra, but I was. She swore she’d marry a millionaire, but I did.”

From that point on, the sisters’ feud became part of their permanent public narrative.

The book “Dear Ann, Deary Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren” by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziale

“Twin lovelorn advisers torn asunder by success,” by Paul O’Neil for Life Magazine

The book, “The Best of Ann Landers: Her Favorite Letters of All Time,” by Ann Landers

The book, “The Best of Dear Abby,” by Abigail Van Buren

“Pauline Phillips, better known as ‘Dear Abby,’ dies at 94,” Washington Post

“Ann Landers, advice giver to the millions, is dead at 83,” by Margalit Fox for the New York Times

“The rivalry of Dear Abby and Ann Landers,” by Melissa Baron for BookRiot.com

“Landers’ death renews family feud,” South Florida Sun Sentinel

“Pauline Phillips, longtime Dear Abby advice dies at 94,” by Michael Martinez for CNN

“Columnists/ daughters carry on the feud,” by Beverly Beyette for the Los Angeles Times

“Competition between Iowa sisters who penned Dear Abby, Ann Landers fueled advice columns,” Des Moines Register

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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 to call her own. Then, just three months later, her twin sister Abby shared some news. She’d gotten a job as an advice columnist, too.

The book “Dear Ann, Deary Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren” by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziale

“Twin lovelorn advisers torn asunder by success,” by Paul O’Neil for Life Magazine

The book, “The Best of Ann Landers: Her Favorite Letters of All Time,” by Ann Landers

The book, “The Best of Dear Abby,” by Abigail Van Buren

“Pauline Phillips, better known as ‘Dear Abby,’ dies at 94,” Washington Post

“Ann Landers, advice giver to the millions, is dead at 83,” by Margalit Fox for the New York Times

“The rivalry of Dear Abby and Ann Landers,” by Melissa Baron for BookRiot.com

“Landers’ death renews family feud,” South Florida Sun Sentinel

“Pauline Phillips, longtime Dear Abby advice dies at 94,” by Michael Martinez for CNN

“Columnists/ daughters carry on the feud,” by Beverly Beyette for the Los Angeles Times

“Competition between Iowa sisters who penned Dear Abby, Ann Landers fueled advice columns,” Des Moines Register

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

For decades, Dear Abby and Ann Landers were the undisputed queens of advice columns. They had millions of loyal readers. They were celebrated public figures. Their columns stood out for being sassy, sharp, and at times, shockingly progressive. But, behind the scenes, the twin sisters had a contentious, competitive relationship.

In this episode, we set the scene for the women they would one day become.

The book “Dear Ann, Deary Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren” by Jan Pottker and Bob Speziale

“Twin lovelorn advisers torn asunder by success,” by Paul O’Neil for Life Magazine

The book, “The Best of Ann Landers: Her Favorite Letters of All Time,” by Ann Landers

The book, “The Best of Dear Abby,” by Abigail Van Buren

“Pauline Phillips, better known as ‘Dear Abby,’ dies at 94,” Washington Post

“Ann Landers, advice giver to the millions, is dead at 83,” by Margalit Fox for the New York Times

“The rivalry of Dear Abby and Ann Landers,” by Melissa Baron for BookRiot.com

“Landers’ death renews family feud,” South Florida Sun Sentinel

“Pauline Phillips, longtime Dear Abby advice dies at 94,” by Michael Martinez for CNN

“Columnists/ daughters carry on the feud,” by Beverly Beyette for the Los Angeles Times

“Competition between Iowa sisters who penned Dear Abby, Ann Landers fueled advice columns,” Des Moines Register

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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 Dahl, thought he’d created a novelty gift that was set in stone. Imagine his surprise when the pet rock’s popularity began to crumble. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken it for granite? Ehh?? Get it??

In this episode, Kristin also addresses the often-asked question about whether she’s still friends with her former Let’s Go To Court co-host.

“Amazon.Com: Pet Rock - The Original by Gary Dahl : Pet Supplies.” Accessed July 10, 2025. https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Rock-Authentic-Approved-Original/dp/B07KN9FK4B

Bredt, Ted. “Has Success Spoiled ‘pet Rock’ Potentate? Outside of 3 Houses, 4 Mercedes Benzes, and the Best Saloon in Los Gatos, No.” The Salt Lake Tribune, February 20, 1977.

Coakley, Michael. “The Anatomy of a Fad: Pet Rock.” The Boston Globe, February 26, 1976.

Curtin, Andrew. “A Million-Dollar Pet Project.” San Francisco Examiner, December 25, 1975.

Dahl, Gary. “Why Didn’t I Think of That! At a Bar One Day, Gary Dahl Dreamed up the Pet Rock.” Courier Post, October 10, 1982.

Giuca, Linda. “Are You Sure It Won’t Bite?” Hartford Courant, December 17, 1975.

Horning, Jay. “Pet Rock Secured a Solid Future for Its ‘Father.’” Tampa Bay Times, May 9, 1982.

“How a Los Gatos Barroom Boast Led to the Pet Rock and Followed Gary Dahl until His Dying Day.” The Mercury News, April 3, 2015. https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/04/03/how-a-los-gatos-barroom-boast-led-to-the-pet-rock-and-followed-gary-dahl-until-his-dying-day/.

Isaacs, Stan. “Teen’s Idea Was as Solid as a Rock.” Newsday (Nassau Edition), November 21, 1975.

LaBelle, Tom. “Career Opportunity of a Lifetime!” The Grand Rapids Press, October 13, 1976.

Leap, Barbara. “From Little Rocks, Some Big Fortunes Grow.” Courier Post, December 5, 1975.

Legacy.Com. “Gary Dahl Obituary (1936 - 2015) - San Jose, CA - AL.Com (Mobile).” Accessed July 11, 2025. https://obits.al.com/us/obituaries/mobile/name/gary-dahl-obituary?pid=174533679.

Mason, Margaret. “It Was a Gamble, a Risk. But the Pet Rock Paid Off.” Pensacola News Journal, December 25, 1977.

McKinney, Joan. “‘Rock Bottom’ Goes Sky High.” Oakland Tribune, December 25, 1975.

“Pet Rock Page.” Accessed July 10, 2025. https://www.virtualpet.com/vp/farm/petrock/petrock.htm.

Po1sonator. “TIL about the craze of Pet Rocks in 1975. For about 6 months, they sold over one million Pet Rocks for $4 each. It was just a rock in a box with some straw and a care manual for tricks to teach. The creator had the idea in a bar as his friends complained about their pets.” Reddit Post. R/Todayilearned, February 2, 2021. https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/lajcy8/til_about_the_craze_of_pet_rocks_in_1975_for/.

“Press Release.” April 5, 2002. https://web.archive.org/web/20020405084047/http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/english/2000win.htm.

Robertson, Blair. “The Pet Rock: A Classic Tale of American Business.” Carroll County Times, December 7, 1999.

Rock Island Argus. “Pet Rock Promoter Opens Own Saloon.” March 6, 1977.

Spokane Chronicle. “Stoned? Pet Rocks Need Little Care, Love.” November 7, 1975.

The Desert Sun. “From the Man Who Brought You Pet Rock...” October 4, 1978.

The Pet Rock: A Classic Tale of American Business. n.d.

It took countless efforts and nearly three decades to convince Second Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda that World War II was over. When those efforts finally paid off, Hiroo Onoda went home to Japan. He received a hero’s welcome. But did he deserve it?

Allyra Crowdfunding. “Donation Page by Searching For Onoda.” https://searchingforonodadoc.allyrafundraising.com/campaigns/9769.

“Bushido and Japanese Atrocities in World War II.” Michael Fassbender, May 2, 2015. https://michaeltfassbender.com/nonfiction/the-world-wars/big-picture/bushido-and-japanese-atrocities-in-world-war-ii/.

“Domitable Myth: Three Depictions of Japanese Holdout Soldier Hiroo Onoda | International Documentary Association.” May 17, 2023. https://www.documentary.org/online-feature/domitable-myth-three-depictions-japanese-holdout-soldier-hiroo-onoda.

New York Times. “Hiroo Onoda, Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for Decades, Dies at 91” March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-dies-at-91.html.

Onoda, Hiroo. No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Naval Institute Press, 1999.

“Onoda: The Man Who Hid in the Jungle for 30 Years.” April 14, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years.

Sims, Watson. “You’re a Better Man, Hiroo.” Battle Creek Enquirer, March 17, 1974.

The Record (New Jersey). “‘I Have Done My Best,’ Japanese Holdout Says.” March 11, 1974.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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’t believe that Japan had surrendered. So they kept fighting. They terrorized locals. They evaded capture. Over the course of several years, Japanese officials made multiple attempts to convince the soldiers that the war had ended. Each time, Hiroo Onoda dismissed those attempts as enemy propaganda.

Allyra Crowdfunding. “Donation Page by Searching For Onoda.” https://searchingforonodadoc.allyrafundraising.com/campaigns/9769.

“Bushido and Japanese Atrocities in World War II.” Michael Fassbender, May 2, 2015. https://michaeltfassbender.com/nonfiction/the-world-wars/big-picture/bushido-and-japanese-atrocities-in-world-war-ii/.

“Domitable Myth: Three Depictions of Japanese Holdout Soldier Hiroo Onoda | International Documentary Association.” May 17, 2023. https://www.documentary.org/online-feature/domitable-myth-three-depictions-japanese-holdout-soldier-hiroo-onoda.

New York Times. “Hiroo Onoda, Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for Decades, Dies at 91” March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-dies-at-91.html.

Onoda, Hiroo. No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Naval Institute Press, 1999.

“Onoda: The Man Who Hid in the Jungle for 30 Years.” April 14, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years.

Sims, Watson. “You’re a Better Man, Hiroo.” Battle Creek Enquirer, March 17, 1974.

The Record (New Jersey). “‘I Have Done My Best,’ Japanese Holdout Says.” March 11, 1974.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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 Island in the Philippines. He was told to never surrender. And when he received word that World War II had ended, Hiroo was certain that the message was a trick. So, he kept fighting. He kept fighting until 1974 – nearly 29 years after the war ended.

Allyra Crowdfunding. “Donation Page by Searching For Onoda.” https://searchingforonodadoc.allyrafundraising.com/campaigns/9769.

“Bushido and Japanese Atrocities in World War II.” Michael Fassbender, May 2, 2015. https://michaeltfassbender.com/nonfiction/the-world-wars/big-picture/bushido-and-japanese-atrocities-in-world-war-ii/.

“Domitable Myth: Three Depictions of Japanese Holdout Soldier Hiroo Onoda | International Documentary Association.” May 17, 2023. https://www.documentary.org/online-feature/domitable-myth-three-depictions-japanese-holdout-soldier-hiroo-onoda.

New York Times. “Hiroo Onoda, Soldier Who Hid in Jungle for Decades, Dies at 91” March 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-dies-at-91.html.

Onoda, Hiroo. No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Naval Institute Press, 1999.

“Onoda: The Man Who Hid in the Jungle for 30 Years.” April 14, 2022. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20220413-onoda-the-man-who-hid-in-the-jungle-for-30-years.

Sims, Watson. “You’re a Better Man, Hiroo.” Battle Creek Enquirer, March 17, 1974.

The Record (New Jersey). “‘I Have Done My Best,’ Japanese Holdout Says.” March 11, 1974.

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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 could. For many members of The Donner Party, the rescue crews came too late. Some had died. Others were too depleted to make the journey back to safety.

Ultimately, of the 87 members of The Donner Party, 41 died. The survivors did their best to lead normal lives, but many of them struggled. They carried unspeakable trauma. They were judged. They faced prying questions. Through it all, they tried their best to settle in to the place they’d fought so hard to call home.

“The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown

“The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis

The documentary, “The Donner Party”

“How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com

“Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

“The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com

“Refurbished Castro-Breen Adobe offers visitors a glimpse into state history,” Gilroy Dispatch

“Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” National Museum of Civil War Medicine

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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 Mountains, pummeled by snowstorms. Their food supply dwindled. They knew that if they stayed put, they’d all be doomed. So, a group of men, women, and children set off to get help. They thought their journey would last six days. They thought wrong.

“The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown

“The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis

The documentary, “The Donner Party”

“How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com

“Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

“The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

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 consuming and taxing than the regular California Trail. As a result, members of the Donner Party grew hungry. They grew thirsty. Their oxen, horses and dogs suffered. Some died. Some ran away. They ran low on time. People snapped at one another.

The group knew that they’d have to do something desperate to survive. So, they sent a few men ahead. They prayed the men would come back with help – before it was too late.

“The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of a Donner Party Bride,” by Daniel James Brown

“The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny,” by Michael Wallis

The documentary, “The Donner Party”

“How the Donner Party was doomed by a disastrous shortcut,” by Erin Blakemore for History.com

“Lansford Hastings, the Donner Party, and the Civil War,” by Elizabeth Eisenstark for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine

“The deadly temptation of the Oregon Trail shortcut,” by Laura Kiniry for atlasobscura.com

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.