One of the biggest names in cuisine is Julia Child (1912-2004). The celebrated chef gained worldwide fame as a television personality and author. She is credited for popularizing French cuisine in the […]
Once upon a time, there was a place called Wonderland. No, this is not a story about the mythical place created by Lewis Carrol. The Wonderland of this story was real. It […]
Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446) was an accomplished architect, designer, sculptor, and mathematician. He is considered to be one of the founding fathers of Renaissance architecture and holds the distinction of being the first […]
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.
Earle and Josephine Dickson seemed to be made for each other. As is the case in every successful marriage, it was as if they were brought together specifically so that each one’s […]
In this age of email, mobile telephones equipped with cameras, and high-speed internet, the fax machine seems comically antiquated. A popular meme shows two people on the phone. One of them asks […]
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 […]
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 […]
Cartoonist Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) achieved fame for his popular cartoons in which he depicted ridiculously complicated machines invented by Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts. Devices of this sort are now known as Rube […]
The philosophy of Commonplace Fun Facts centers around the principle that there is no such this as “useless knowledge.” Perhaps that is why we found ourselves drawn to a practice of developing […]
“Only the Polytron reduces an entire mouse to a soup-like homogenate in 30 seconds.” That’s how the newspaper advertisement begins. If your reaction is typical, you went back and read the first […]
Despite being one of the most successful inventors in history, Thomas Edison was certainly no stranger to failure. As detailed in this article, he bungled one opportunity by failing to determine whether […]
We already reported the alarming practice of attempting to make cigarettes safe by using filters made from asbestos. If you are looking for a safer and all-organic way to introduce carcinogens into […]
Do you feel weighed down by the burdens of the day? Does the prospect of a sleepless night weigh heavy on you? Do you wish you could float away from the cares […]
The next time you grab a handful of cotton candy and subject your teeth to an onslaught of almost 100% sugar, you can thank a couple of dentists for inventing it.
Commonplace Fun Facts 