Some of our favorite childhood memories may have had decidedly unchildlike origins. We have told some examples in these articles concerning the scary origins of fairy tales. The following article by Nicholas […]
What can you do with 45 minutes? You might watch an hour-long television program by skipping the commercials. You could walk three miles at an average pace. Your time could be spent […]
Georgy Zhukov was a hero of the Soviet Union, but he had an embarrassing secret. He was an addict. What made it worse was that his addiction, if known, would be especially […]
Necessity is the mother of invention. That adage certainly proved true for Ruth Graves Wakefield, the creator of one of the most popular treats ever.
If you are a reasonably well-informed person (which you obviously are, since you read Commonplace Fun Facts), you know that the U.S. government has plans for just about everything. These contingencies range […]
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 do you know about the fantastic accomplishments of H.A. Largelamb? Don’t be so quick to say you never heard of him. Although you might not immediately recognize his name, you almost […]
Have you ever heard the name of Helen Niemeyer? Perhaps you would know her by her married name, Helen Hanfstaengl? Probably not. In the crowded pages of history books, there is scarcely […]
It was during some of the scariest days of the Cold War that the submarine surfaced off the coast of the United States. On the submarine was the most powerful cruise missile […]
Adolphe must have been the most unfortunate boy ever. He was certainly the most accident-prone. His mother concluded that he was “condemned to misfortune” and concluded that “he won’t live.” It seemed […]
There seems to be an awful lot of uncertainty and misinformation surrounding the Captain. The thing he is most remembered for is something he probably had nothing to do with. The big […]
Paul Harvey was one of the most popular radio personalities for nearly sixty years. Starting his career at the age of 14, he continued to broadcast until his death at 90. His […]
You can be driving through what appears to be the middle of nowhere when you see it. With no explanation as to its presence in that place, you will find a massive […]
Alarms sounded in military installations all around the world, reporting the unthinkable. A nuclear detonation had just been detected in Bell Island, Newfoundland. Satellites designed to notify military and government leaders of […]
The high drama of the hijacking of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 702 ended without bloodshed. After the plane landed in Geneva, Swiss authorities took the hijacker into custody, and all 202 passengers and […]
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