It is difficult to overstate the contribution of tomatoes to our culinary culture. Imagine how poorer we would be without pizza, marinara sauce, salsa, or any of the countless dishes that rely […]
If you are filling your plate at a banquet and see a tray of wasps in the midst of a selection of fruit, it’s a safe bet that you would take a […]
If you like art, and if you are particularly fond of peanut butter, a visit to Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has all the makings for your perfect day. It is the […]
Mao Zedong (1893-1976) disliked pests. Rats, bed bugs, and flies (not to mention as many as 30 million people who got in his way) were, at various times, the focus of Chairman […]
War has been a blight on humanity for all of history, but it occasionally produces some good things. Such was the case when Napoleon’s problems with providing food to his troops led […]
What invokes happy memories of summer better than the popsicle? The cool, refreshing delight of a juicy frozen treat on a hot day can seem like manna from heaven. The next time […]
Drop a piece of buttered toast on the kitchen floor, and we all know what is going to happen. It will land buttered-side down, of course. At least, that’s what we expect, […]
We at Commonplace Fun Facts are big fans of the Ig Nobel Prize and its mission to “first make people laugh, then make them think.” The list of 2019 laureates touched on […]
Henry Ford was famous for promoting his game-changing Model T automobile, telling consumers they could have the car in any color, as long as it was black. There was another game-changing innovation […]
If you are hungry for hard-boiled eggs, but your diet limits you to just one, you might want to try an ostrich egg. Just be prepared for a bit of a wait. […]
The manufacturers of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream had to figure out what to do with over 2,000 gallons of daily ice cream waste. Flushing it down the drain was undesirable for […]
If the findings of a recent study are accurate, the next time you order strong coffee, you might be asked if you want cream, sugar, or anti-psychotic medications to go with it. […]
Those who gathered for the dedication of the Alferd Packer Memorial Grill in the Department of Agriculture thought they were witnessing homage to an enterprising pioneer. Little did they realize they were […]
Coffee has been integral to Turkish culture for over 500 years. Turkish coffee is made by brewing finely-ground coffee beans, which are then left in the beverage when it is served. The […]
Student protests seem to be a phenomenon that started in the 1960s, but they are much older than that. The proud history of protests on college campuses got its start in America […]
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