History books tell us that England embraced the Protestant Reformation because its king wanted a divorce. What the books frequently fail to point out is that a dog — more precisely, a […]
Urian: the Greyhound Responsible for the English Reformation
Behold Tibbles the Cat — Destroyer of a Whole Species
Visit the peaceful locale of Stephen’s Island, located between the two main islands of New Zealand, and you will be impressed by the breathtaking beauty. Although only 1.5 km2 in area, it […]
Signals From Alien Civilizations or Signs of Starving Scientists?
When astronomers picked up the repeating signal, they scrambled into action. The signals, called perytons, started occurring on a regular basis, always around the same time of day. Could it be a […]
Rabbits: The Terror of Australia
Rabbits are so cute and cuddly that it is hard to imagine the word “terror” being associated with them. (NOTE: This would be news to Napoleon and Jimmy Carter, each of whom […]
Shakespeare’s Role in a Real-Life Birdemic
No one who has ever watched Birdemic: Shock and Terror would ever equate the name of William Shakespeare with the movie. The film, widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made, […]
The Horribly-Bungled Coronation of Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria (1819-1901) reigned over Great Britain for 63 years. Her time on the throne was not only long but it was beset with a number of embarrassments for the monarch. Anyone […]
The Geographic Knowledge of Britney Spears
An earlier Commonplace post noted that the music of Britney Spears is one of the most effective deterrents to Somali pirates. Lest that be construed as some kind of derogatory judgment on […]
Bad Handwriting Responsible for Up to 61% of Prescription Errors
It is a standing joke that physicians have horrible handwriting. It turns out this may not be such a laughing matter. A number of studies have found that sloppy handwriting is just […]
What Happened to Cause the Doomsday Phone to Ring Off the Hook?
The red phone rang repeatedly. It was The Phone — the phone designated for calls that went well beyond the classification of “urgent.” This phone was used to signal the end of […]
Learn About the Day a Hydrogen Bomb Was Accidentally Dropped on Albuquerque, New Mexico
As the bomber’s sole bomb descended upon the city below, a feeling of unbelief and dread filled the hearts of the plane’s crew. Part of their apprehension was due to the unexpected […]
The Submarine that Nearly Sank Because of an Open Hatch
When submarine captains go to school to learn how to command a multi-billion-dollar vessel, surely one of the first lessons is “Make Sure All the Hatches Are Closed Before You Dive.” For […]
Whoops! What Happens When a Country Misplaces its Declaration of Independence?
Fiji achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1970, but don’t ask the government to prove it. The actual legal document proclaiming their independence seems to have been misplaced.
Duct Tape: So Versatile That it Can Bring Down a President
Night watchman Frank Willis was making his rounds on the night of June 17, 1972. As he passed one of the doors in the office building’s parking complex, he noticed a piece […]
You Had One Job: Lock Constantinople’s Gate
Constantinople was one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world. When it was attacked on April 6, 1453, 10,000 men easily held off Sultan Mehmed II’s 100,000-150,000 attackers for fifty […]
Clear Thinking Disappears in the Camouflage
When civilians wear camouflage-patterned clothing, it is typically a fashion statement. If you will be taking your camo-patterned backpack to school, the choice of the camouflage design can be left to personal […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 