Nothing in Rodman’s young life had prepared him for the hell in which he found himself. He grew up as the son of a grocer in a middle-class community. It was a […]
How a Traumatized Combat Vet Gave Us All a Glimpse Into the Surreal
Commonplace Fun Facts
The Boy Who Rejected His Right to be King
What do you make of someone who renounces his birthright — especially when that means renouncing the right to be King? The story has played out before, triggering the expected media firestorm. […]
The Sinister Origin of a Beach Boys Song
Few cultural symbols better represent the innocence of the 1960s than the Beach Boys. They ushered in the “California sound” with songs that evoke pleasant thoughts of surfing, cars, romance, and youth. […]
The Two Deaths of John Dillinger
Public Enemy Number One. There are few titles that carry more notoriety than being labeled as the #1 threat to society. Those who have been so branded are among the worst of […]
The Secret Disaster That Saved D-Day
Everyone knew the outcome of the war would be settled in Europe. For that to happen, it would require an invasion of unprecedented force. Over 7,000 ships and landing craft would have […]
Making the Most of Paused Ambitions
Benjamin was forced to pause his career plans. If there’s one thing he hated, it was that pause. Like so many young men, he was ambitious, and he was certain he knew […]
The Adversary Who Made MacArthur Vomit
No one would associate General Douglas MacArthur with cowardice. One of the few men to rise to the rank of 5-star general, MacArthur was known for bravery, daring, and determination in the […]
The Most Famous Musician You Never Heard Of
When it comes to memorable quotes, less is more. The best-remembered sayings throughout history tend to consist of just a handful of carefully-chosen words. The same can’t be said for music. No […]
If Someone Calls You a Horse
The phrase was made popular by the 2006 film Lucky Number Slevin, but variations of it seem to have been around for centuries. Regardless of its origins, there is some truth in […]
The White House Speechwriter Who Refused to be Fired
To be fair, Peter had a demanding boss. Few people were harder to please than President Lyndon B. Johnson. The temperamental president was quick to find fault with anyone at any time. […]
The Brilliant Plan to Sell Wallpaper Cleaner to Children
Wallpaper cleaner and children. The only apparent connection between the two is that the more you have of the latter, the more likely you will need the former. With appropriate supervision, you […]
Major Bambi, USMC
Let’s just acknowledge something right off the bat: there’s nothing unmanly about liking the Disney movie Bambi. While we’re on the subject, we don’t think anything less of anyone who gets emotional […]
The Competitive Brother and the Housemate
Art came from a competitive family. The firstborn of seven brothers, he bore everyone’s expectations to excel in life, but he was going to have to work at it if he was […]
Fated to Die on the Toilet
When they found Michael Godwin, he was already dead. He was also on the toilet. We mention the location of his demise because it is relevant to this story, not because we […]
The Kidnapping That Gave Birth to a Legend
You may wonder why three teenage girls were allowed to go off on such a dangerous outing in the first place. In retrospect, it’s easy to say that was a mistake, but […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 