Dancing Lessons for the Advanced in Age (Czech: Taneční hodiny pro starší a pokročilé) is a 1964 novel by the Czechoslovak writer Bohumil Hrabal. It tells the story of a man who […]
One Sentence: Does That Mean Long or Short?
Commonplace Fun Facts
Long Live the …. Whoops… Too Late
King Louis XIX succeeded to the throne of France upon the abdication of his father, Charles X. Twenty minutes later he abdicated in favor of Henry V.
Long Live the King!
Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland from December 10, 1899 to August 21, 1982, holds the record for the longest reign of any monarch in history, with 82 years, 254 days on the […]
Churchill on Silent Courage
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill. Read more great quotations. Read these fun facts […]
Government’s Scary Reassurance
“The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” — Ronald Reagan
Wise Words From a Successful Attorney
“ Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. As a peacemaker the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There will still be business enough.” — Abraham […]
Unlikely Inspiration for an Action Movie
The Train from Nowhere by Michel Thaler was written entirely without verbs. The author tells the tale purely with descriptions and criticisms of the passengers on the train.
Losing to Those Guys Makes Me See Red
Athletes dressed in red are more likely to win events than athletes wearing any other color.
Musical Running for Extroverts
Music can boost your running performance by up to 15%, but only if you’re a particular kind of runner. If you tend to focus inward while running, music probably won’t help you […]
He Won in a Dead Heat
Jockey Frank Hayes won a horse race at Belmont Park in New York in 1923. What is remarkable is that he was dead at the time. He suffered a heart attack mid-race, […]
No Copyright Claimed to This Word
The word uncopyrightable is the longest English word in normal use that contains no letter more than once. Read more fun facts about the English language. See more ridiculously long words.
The Top-Selling Book By the Top-Selling Author Of All Time
There are more than 168,000 Bibles either sold or given away per day in the United States according to the Gideons, Wycliffe International and the International Bible Societies. Historically it has been […]
A Good Location for the Next Yodeling Competition
Hamilton Mausoleum in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland holds the record for the longest echo of any man-made structure in the world. It takes 15 seconds for the sound of a slammed door […]
The Mathematician Who Died From Being a Picky Eater
The Austrian/American logician and mathematician Kurt Gödel died on January 14, 1978, from being a picky eater.
Going Out With a Granted Wish
The American revolutionary James Otis Jr. hoped his death would come by a bolt of lightning and often told his friends and relatives about it. His sister reported him telling her, “My […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 