November 12, 1970, was a whale of a day at Florence, Oregon. The sun was bright, and the skies were clear. Only the presence of a decomposing whale carcass marred the beautiful […]
What Could Go Wrong When Using Dynamite to Move a Whale?
Making Nuclear Reactors Safe From Butt-Pinching
Harnessing the power of the atom provides humanity with virtually unlimited power. It also poses devastating consequences if things go poorly. The nuclear disasters at Chernobyl, Fukushima, and Three Mile Island happened […]
Did Pepsi Promise to Raise the Dead or Did Coca-Cola Invite China to Bite the Wax Tadpole?
Weird things can happen when mistranslating words from one language to another. See these articles for some examples. The results can be hilarious, embarrassing, or disastrous. If you search for examples of […]
Did a Monkey Get Hanged For Being a French Spy?
Just when we thought we had thoroughly combed the historical record and reported all interesting tidbits on a subject, we are reminded that there is no limit to strange stories from the […]
The Cookbook That Was Recalled Because of an Explosive Recipe
When you hear about a product being recalled by the manufacturer, it typically is a device with a defective part, a toy that is a choking hazard, or food that has become […]
How a Brilliant Military Maneuver Conquered the Wrong City
You may not hear a lot about him today, but in the 9th century, Hastein was a rising star in the Viking community. The chieftain made his name with raids in the […]
How the Baby Ruth Candy Bar Influenced the Bombing of Hiroshima
This morning’s headlines are filled with reports of war, pandemic, political turmoil, and — perhaps most distressingly — further chronicles in the lives of a couple of people named Harry and Meghan. […]
FDR’s Fishing Trip and Near Exposure of His Bare Buns
Franklin D. Roosevelt went to great lengths to hide the fact that he had been paralyzed by polio. Disguising his disability became even more complicated after his election to the presidency. Everywhere […]
The White House Crisis that Left the President and First Lady Black and Blue
“Come up here right away!” The White House staff is accustomed to responding immediately to any request from the First Lady. This command caused more than the usual flurry of activity, however. […]
Popeye Got His Super Strength from Spinach Because of a Math Error
“I’m strong to the finish ‘cuz I eat my spinach.” With those words, Popeye the Sailor inspired generations of kids to suppress their gag reflex and eat all the spinach on their […]
How General Patton’s Latrine Became a National Hero
Many monuments have been inspired by the horrors of war. None is more significant than the graves of soldiers who were killed in combat. Battlefield burial sites stand as sober reminders of […]
What Could Go Wrong With Putting Wings on a Ford Pinto?
As much as we enjoy the comforts provided by the 21st century, our biggest disappointment is the lack of flying cars. Every traffic jam brings daydreams of being able to push the […]
What Happens When You Declare War and Forget About It?
Robert E. Lee famously said, “It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.” Whether terrible or otherwise, war should be so significant that it […]
It’s a Miracle! Wait… False Alarm
When bystanders saw the man rise from his wheelchair moments after being blessed by the Pope, they were aghast. A miracle had taken place in their midst! Or maybe not….
The Bridge That Wouldn’t Work Because of a Misplaced Remote Control
Admit it. We’re all guilty of setting the remote control somewhere and losing track of it. Even though the television is less than 10 feet away, we’ll hunt around for 15 minutes, […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 