On this day, November 12, 1970, a whale blowed up real good on the Oregon coast.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Popehat Retweeted

#OTD in 1970, the Oregon Highway Division consulted with the U.S. Navy and decided the best way to dispose of a whale carcass was to blow it up with a 1/2 ton of dynamite. The explosion caused blubber to rain down on spectators for over a 1/4 of a mile. The TV segment is classic.

A five-foot chunk of the whale hit a new Oldsmobile that spectator Walter Umenhofer had bought at a dealer's "whale of a deal" promotion. Due to the physical damage and the smell that permeated the car, insurance covered the full retail value of the Olds.

Link to tweet

Hat tip, Dennis Donovan

Thu Nov 12, 2020, 05:10 AM: 50 Years Ago Today; Dead whale removal goes horribly wrong in Oregon 🐳 💥

Additional hat tip, regnaD kciN

Thu Nov 12, 2020, 01:58 AM: November 12 -- Fifty years ago, the greatest moment EVER in television news...

Sun Nov 12, 2023: On this day, November 12, 1970, a whale blowed up real good on the Oregon coast.

Sun Nov 13, 2022: On November 12, 1970, a whale blowed up real good on the Oregon coast.

[underpants]

1. Harold!

There’s one part of the news story in which ch you can hear what sounds like and older woman chastising her husband. I think his name was Harold.

One of the funniest (long) news reports you’ll ever see.

[EYESORE 9001]

2. I moved to Oregon some 5 years later

People were still talking about this.