One of the first rhymes learned by children is “Humpty Dumpty.” We all know that poor ol’ Humpty was an anthropomorphic egg who, despite his fragile physique, unwisely sat on a wall. […]
What is the Real Story of Humpty Dumpty?
Some of the Articles We Never Got Around To
“How do you come up with ideas for articles on Commonplace Fun Facts?” Not a week goes by without that question being posed to members of the Commonplace creative team. The tone […]
Supernatural Conspiracy Theories About the Royal Family
There is a mystery and mystique surrounding royalty. It seems that the public can never get enough inside information about those who were fortunate enough to be born into the highest class […]
A Tale of Two Imaginary Slashers and the Mass Hysteria That Seized Two Communities
The people of the United Kingdom town of Halifax had enough on their minds. War clouds were swirling, and there were fears that the country would soon be drawn into another great […]
Getting Fried by Hugo N. Frye
The Hugo N. Frye Sesquicentennial Committee of Cornell University planned an event to honor New York’s often-overlooked political activist and founder of the New York Republican Party. The event was scheduled for […]
Giving the Boot to the Star Wars Shoe Asteroid Myth
If you spend any amount of internet searching for interesting facts about Star Wars and you will eventually come across this interesting tidbit: some of the asteroids in The Empire Strikes Back […]
Meet the Cat Who Co-Authored a Scientific Paper
F.D.C. Willard was 7 years old when he became a published researcher. As you might expect with someone so gifted at such a young age, there were some difficulties in coping with […]
The Scam to Search for a Country that Didn’t Exist — And What Was Discovered Instead
Bob was a con man. That’s not how he would have described himself. He would have told you that he was a visionary and hero — someone who sought out new frontiers […]
The Great Toilet Paper Scare That Was No Laughing Matter
It seemed impossible that such a precious commodity could be in such short supply. The nation had endured great challenges, knowing that more days of sacrifice lay ahead. Even so, no one […]
Visit the Fabled Paradise of San Serriffe
In 1977, readers of Great Britain’s newspaper Guardian were treated to an in-depth look at the tropical paradise of the island nation of San Serriffe. The newspaper devoted a 7-page supplement in […]
That Time When Lenin’s Body Went on Sale
The year was 1991, and the geopolitical climate was changing so rapidly that nearly anything seemed possible. With Communist states falling all over the world, and the formal end of the Soviet […]
The Cafeteria Named After a Notorious Cannibal
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 […]
The Day Someone Stole the Empire State Building
The city of New York is certainly not a stranger to crime. Whether it is burglary, pickpocketing, vehicle theft or other like offenses, New York City experienced 371,880 incidents of property crime […]
The Forgery that Helped Shape Europe
During the political chaos of the early Middle Ages, there was one stable, unifying force that held things together in Europe: the Roman Catholic Church. While Europe scrambled to pick up the […]
Christopher Columbus and the Phony Logs
Christopher Columbus famously discovered America in 1492. In so doing, he earned accolades as a great explorer, adventurer and visionary. He also earned one other title that is not as well recognized: […]
