Commonplace Fun Facts

Colorblindness: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why Your Charts Are the Problem

Explore colorblindness: what it is, common myths, causes, everyday challenges, and surprising advantages in this humorous, informative guide.

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April 4, 2026April 4, 2026

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Take a Journey on the Road that Disappears Twice a Day

If you want to drive from Beauvoir-sur-Mer to Barbâtre on the western coast of France, you have a couple of options. You can go southwest on Route D22 to La Barre-de-Monts and catch Route D38, taking it north to your destination for a total distance of 18 km (11 mi). The alternative is to take…
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The Loneliness of Originality

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) is one of the most-widely quotes Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. His concise and pithy judicial opinions reflect his sharp and creative mind. In a commencement address given at Brown University in 1897, Holmes, then an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court, advised the…
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The Wit and Wisdom of Adlai Stevenson

Few people came to political life with a quicker wit than Adlai Stevenson II (1900-1965). He made his mark in politics as governor of Illinois from 1949 to 1953 and received the Democratic Party nomination for president in 1952 and 1956. After failing to get the nomination again in 1960, he received a consolation prize…
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France Says Sacré Bleu! When it Orders the Wrong Size of Trains

If you accidentally purchase the wrong size of pants, it’s no big deal; as long as you have the receipt, you can exchange them for something that will fit. If only it were that easy in all size mishaps. When France’s national rail operator got the size wrong, it was a blunder that causes a…
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How JFK Found Happiness in the Presidency

On October 31, 1963, John F. Kennedy held one of his final press conferences. A reporter reminded him that she had once before asked him toward the beginning of his presidency whether he enjoyed being President. She said, “Now you have had a chance to appraise your job and why you like it and why…
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Some Slick Stories Surrounding the Slinky

They say some people are like Slinky’s — they’re not really good for anything, but they bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs. If that’s what you think, be prepared for an argument from some of the more than 300 million people who have purchased a Slinky…
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The Confidence of Never Meeting Your Intellectual Equal

One of the hallmarks of Abraham Lincoln’s personality was his humility. He frequently used self-deprecating humor to defuse difficult situations.
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How a Video Game Pandemic is Teaching Us How to Cope With a Real One

A new disease emerged from a remote part of the world. It started in an animal before jumping to humans. It was highly contagious, but many who caught the disease remained asymptomatic. Consequently, when a few travelers became infected, the sickness spread to other parts of the world before anyone knew there was a problem.…
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D-Day Shrapnel Makes Up 4% of the Sand on Omaha Beach

Despite all the years that have passed since the invasion, the D-Day shrapnel still composes as much as 4% of the sand on the D-Day beaches.
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Just How Many Presidents Have There Been?

The number of U.S. presidents is a debated issue due to historical complexities. Under the Articles of Confederation, Samuel Huntington, Samuel Johnston, Thomas McKean, and John Hanson held the role before George Washington. Grover Cleveland’s non-consecutive terms further complicate counting. Depending on the method, Donald Trump could be considered the 44th, 45th, 46th, 56th, 67th,…
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The Man Who Was President for One Day and the Day When There Were Two Presidents

If you had to list the names of the men who have served as President of the United States, you will almost certainly write the names Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt. If you are a die-hard presidential history buff, you won’t overlook the more obscure ones, such as Millard Fillmore or Zachary Taylor. Before you…
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Breaking Out of Jail is Completely Legal in These Countries

Breaking out of jail is always a crime, right? Think again. There are some countries where a jail break will not get you into legal trouble.
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Meet F.D.C. Willard, the Cat Who Co-Authored a Scientific Paper

F.D.C. Willard: Cuddly, Cute, and Co-Author 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 fame. His personality was sometimes described in less-than-flattering terms. Some called him aloof, frustratingly-independent, and almost-obsessive about…
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Learn How Two Grandparents Hacked the Lottery and Made Millions

Despite all the advertisements telling us about the lavish lifestyle that comes to the winners of the lottery, most of us know that buying lottery tickets is just a less efficient means of throwing away money. The odds of actually winning a pretty low, as we have pointed out in this article. There was one…
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O’Rourke’s Alternative to Term Limits

“In our brief national history, we have shot four of our presidents, worried five of them to death, impeached one and hounded another out of office. And when all else fails, we hold an election and assassinate their character.” — P.J. O’Rourke Read more great quotations. Read more fun facts about politics.
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