Are Snipes Real? Absolutely. Should You Go Snipe Hunting? We Advise Against It.
Are snipes real? Discover the truth behind the bird, the bizarre tradition of snipe hunting, and why this classic prank has fooled generations.
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Thanksgiving Fun Facts and a Big Helping of Gratitude
Read more: Thanksgiving Fun Facts and a Big Helping of GratitudeCelebrate Thanksgiving with a light-hearted tour of Thanksgiving fun facts, quirky history, and memorable stories from past Commonplace Fun Facts articles, along with a warm note of gratitude to the readers who make it all possible.
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Stan Lee’s Origin Story: How a 19-Year-Old Revolutionized Captain America
Read more: Stan Lee’s Origin Story: How a 19-Year-Old Revolutionized Captain AmericaStan Lee transformed comics long before Spider-Man. Discover how a 19-year-old Stan Lee revolutionized Captain America, invented the shield throw, and helped launch the modern Marvel universe in this fun, fast-paced origin story.
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Bob Ross: The Drill Sergeant Who Whispered “Happy Little Trees” Into America’s Soul
Read more: Bob Ross: The Drill Sergeant Who Whispered “Happy Little Trees” Into America’s SoulDiscover the surprising journey of Bob Ross from strict Air Force sergeant to the soft-spoken host of The Joy of Painting. Explore his mentorship under Bill Alexander, the origins of the wet-on-wet technique, and how he became a beloved cultural icon.
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Did Charles Hatfield Really Make It Rain in San Diego? The Strange Tale of a Sewing‑Machine Salesman Turned Rainmaker
Read more: Did Charles Hatfield Really Make It Rain in San Diego? The Strange Tale of a Sewing‑Machine Salesman Turned RainmakerDive into the fascinating true story of Charles Hatfield, the self-proclaimed rainmaker who convinced San Diego he could end a drought in 1916. Discover what he claimed, what actually happened, and whether he really caused the historic floods that followed.
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How the Romans Did Math When Roman Numerals Ruled the World
Read more: How the Romans Did Math When Roman Numerals Ruled the WorldDiscover how the Romans did math using Roman numerals, counting boards, and clever tools that powered engineering feats from aqueducts to amphitheaters. A fun, insightful look at the surprising math behind an empire.
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Fun Facts About the First Ladies — Part 4
Read more: Fun Facts About the First Ladies — Part 4Discover fascinating, funny, and surprising stories about America’s modern First Ladies in the final installment of this four-part series of Fun Facts About the First Ladies, featuring Mamie Eisenhower through Melania Trump’s non-consecutive terms.
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Iconic Advertisements We Still Remember: From Burma-Shave and Brylcreem to Where’s The Beef
Read more: Iconic Advertisements We Still Remember: From Burma-Shave and Brylcreem to Where’s The BeefA fun, nostalgic tour through America’s most iconic advertisements, from Burma-Shave and Wildroot Cream-Oil to “Where’s the Beef?” and beyond.
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Does Anyone Actually Like Fruitcake? A 100-Year Antarctic Cake, a 2,000-Year-Old Recipe, and a Lifetime of Jokes
Read more: Does Anyone Actually Like Fruitcake? A 100-Year Antarctic Cake, a 2,000-Year-Old Recipe, and a Lifetime of JokesDiscover the astonishing true story of the 100-year-old Antarctic fruitcake, the 2,000-year history behind this indestructible dessert, why it lasts so long, and most importantly, does anyone actually like fruitcake?
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The Texas Bird Hunters Who Shot Down Their Own Airplane
Read more: The Texas Bird Hunters Who Shot Down Their Own AirplaneA wild true story from Texas aviation history: four drunk bird hunters who shot down their own airplane over Palo Duro Canyon. Discover how this unbelievable incident sparked FAA scrutiny and became a case study in aviation safety.
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Zion, Illinois: The Strange Saga of the Prophet, the Flat-Earther, and the Town That Tried to Ban Fun
Read more: Zion, Illinois: The Strange Saga of the Prophet, the Flat-Earther, and the Town That Tried to Ban FunDiscover the bizarre history of Zion, Illinois — founded by faith‐healer John Alexander Dowie, ruled by flat‐earther Wilbur Voliva and a community that banned dancing, pork and modern medicine.
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The First Attempted Murder in Antarctica Happened Because Someone Spoiled the Ending of a Book
Read more: The First Attempted Murder in Antarctica Happened Because Someone Spoiled the Ending of a BookA Russian researcher stabbed a colleague at an Antarctic station after repeated book spoilers. Explore the bizarre true story of the first attempted murder in Antarctica and more Antarctic crime history and icy legal quirks.
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The Hidden History of Soviet ‘Bone Records’—How Russians Bootlegged Songs onto X-Rays During the Cold War
Read more: The Hidden History of Soviet ‘Bone Records’—How Russians Bootlegged Songs onto X-Rays During the Cold WarDiscover the strange world of Soviet “bone records”—forbidden songs secretly pressed onto discarded X-rays during the Cold War. Explore their origins, risks, and legacy.
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The 37 Dog Problem: The AKC’s Strange Roman Numeral Reason We Can’t Have 38 Dogs With the Same Name
Read more: The 37 Dog Problem: The AKC’s Strange Roman Numeral Reason We Can’t Have 38 Dogs With the Same NameDiscover the American Kennel Club’s 37 dog name rule. Explore the quirky Roman numeral rule, the legacy database behind it, and the surprising history of AKC dog naming conventions.
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How Royal Inbreeding Broke an Empire: The Tragic, Bizarre Lives of Charles II of Spain and Ferdinand I of Austria
Read more: How Royal Inbreeding Broke an Empire: The Tragic, Bizarre Lives of Charles II of Spain and Ferdinand I of AustriaDiscover how centuries of Habsburg inbreeding shaped the tragic and bizarre lives of Charles II of Spain and Ferdinand I of Austria, revealing the genetic and political consequences of royal inbreeding that helped fracture an empire
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A Buttload is an Actual Unit of MeasurementFebruary 5, 2020
