Imagine the police officer’s surprise. Washington, D.C. Officer William West was on routine patrol on M Street when he saw a vehicle approaching at a dangerously fast speed. He conducted what he […]
The President With a Lead Foot
Fun Fact: The Original Idea For The Lincoln Memorial
Today we feature one of our favorite blogs, Neko Random — a great place to visit for quick and informative fun facts. While the Lincoln Memorial is one of the most popular […]
The Presidency and Proctoscopes
No president had a greater battle with the press than Richard Nixon. He blamed the media for treating him unfairly throughout his political career and made no secret about it. He summed […]
Less Than Half of American Colonists Supported the Revolution
At the heart of American democracy is the concept of democracy. Every government and civics textbook declares the noble principle that self-governing people preserve the rights of the minority, but it is […]
How Do You Pronounce GIF?
There’s nothing we like better than to be able to write about a totally non-controversial subject. It is difficult to express our joy when the matter is so clear and accepted that […]
How a Stolen Election Propelled LBJ to the White House
A hotly-contested election. Polling data says the outcome is too close to predict. As the polls close, one of the candidates seems to have won. Shortly thereafter, votes are “discovered” for the […]
Andrew Carnegie and Theodore Roosevelt’s Doomed Effort to Simplify Spelling
Wy duz English hav such weerd spelling? Sum words uze silent letters. Others use dubel letters inconsistently for ekwal sounds, such as “blizzard” and “lizard.” Wat if we cud mak it eezy? […]
The Contagious Insanity of the Lincoln Assassination
It wasn’t that long ago that people believed mental illness behaved like the common cold. One of the reasons for the establishment of mental asylums was to quarantine the insane, thus protecting […]
Dormie — The Dog That Went on Trial for Murder
The charges against the defendant were almost unimaginable. Prosecutors accused him of leaving a trail of twelve corpses. A dozen lives were tragically and unjustifiably cut short by an inexplicable killing spree. […]
Abraham Lincoln: Mystery Writer
Abraham Lincoln attempted many things in his life. He was a railsplitter, boatman, store clerk, soldier, surveyor, postmaster, lawyer, legislator, and President. Along the way, he tried his hand as an inventor, […]
When Brains Count For Government
“Here the people rule, and their will is the supreme law. It is sometimes sneeringly said by those who do not like free government, that here we count heads. True, heads are […]
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. […]
When Mark Twain Needed the First Lady to Reassure His Wife
Mark Twain has a well-deserved reputation for not being intimidated by those in high authority. His self-assurance and disregard for the opinion of others allowed him to rub elbows with the most […]
How Mark Twain Lobbied a Little Girl on Behalf of an Ambassador
Mark Twain proclaimed himself to be politically neutral. Using the terminology of the day, he was a “Mugwump.” This allowed him a convenient excuse when people asked him to use his celebrity […]
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 […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 