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 […]
The Presidency and Proctoscopes
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? […]
How the Republic of Indian Stream Became a Country Between the United States and Canada
Commonplace Fun Facts loves Canada. We have written about its enlightened policies that have created the only rat-free territory in the world, the establishment of the Global Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve, and […]
The Prime Minister Who Got Eaten By His People
You know what they say about pursuing a career in politics. It is a vocation fraught with hazards. The public is so fickle and can love you one day, only to chew […]
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 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 […]
That Time a Prime Minister Got Drunk and Called a National Election
As a public service, we at Commonplace Fun Facts remind our readers that there are a lot of good reasons to avoid alcohol. It is detrimental to your health, is addictive, impairs […]
Saddam Hussein Used ‘I Will Always Love You’ As His Campaign Theme Song
Political campaigns and popular music seem to go together. Whether it is “Happy Days Are Here Again” in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 campaign, John F. Kennedy’s use of “High Hopes” in 1960, […]
Which Presidents Took the Oath of Office the Most Times?
Presidential trivia aficionados are quick to identify the president who was in office the least amount of time (William Henry Harrison) and the one who served the longest (Franklin D. Roosevelt). There […]
Why Do Drug Commercials List All Those Crazy Side Effects?
Do you feel like you don’t know enough? Do you find yourself at a loss for things to talk about at social gatherings? Do you wish you knew some interesting tidbit of […]
That Time the United States Had an Emperor
Suppose fortune fails to smile upon you. Despite your best efforts at gaining wealth, you are bankrupt and have no professional skills to speak of. You could give up and embrace a […]
Congress Got Rid of Lunatics But Kept All the Idiots
If you ever decide you’d like to learn all of the laws of the United States, you will need to grab a copy of the United States Code (or you can read […]
Kentucky Lawyers and Politicians Are Required to Disavow Dueling
In this increasingly-contentious society, it is easy to find oneself choosing sides. Standing your ground and defending a position may put you at odds with others. Sometimes emotions can be so intense […]
Calvin Coolidge Makes Short Work of Long Sermon
Preachers and politicians often share the quality of loquaciousness. That doesn’t mean they necessarily appreciate or tolerate that quality in each other.
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