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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Combining Cuteness and Horror — Meet the Chinese Water Deer

Just when you thought it was safe to step outside and relax in the blissful tranquility of nature, it’s time to meet a real-life combination of Bambi and Dracula: the vampire deer.
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Visit the Fabled Paradise of San Serriffe

In 1977, The Guardian published a fictitious 7-page supplement celebrating the nonexistent island nation of San Serriffe, leading to widespread public interest. Conceived as an April Fool’s prank, it featured humorous wordplays and a semicolon-shaped map. The story sparked inquiries from travel agents and inspired various fan sites and publications.
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Feasting on the Buttered Toast Phenomenon

Drop a piece of buttered toast on the kitchen floor, and we all know what is going to happen. It will land buttered-side down, of course. At least, that’s what we expect, but is that merely the assumption of Murphy’s Law? Thanks to exhaustive research, we now know whether the Buttered Toast Phenomenon is reality…
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A Word for Self-Inflicted Haircuts

As of this writing, much of the world is forced to stay at home, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no easy access to barbershops and hairstylists, many of us are contemplating cutting our own hair. If this describes you, you might take some time to learn the Japanese word age-otori (上げ劣り). It refers to the…
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Could a Penny Dropped from the Empire State Building Kill a Person?

We all know that if you drop a penny from the top of the Empire State Building, it will kill anyone it happens to strike. We think we know it, anyway. Has anyone ever taken the time to examine how much truth there is to this piece of conventional wisdom? Take a look at the…
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Wordiness Is a Defense Against Popularity

Sir Winston Churchill was a master of the English language and greatly appreciated the effectiveness of a carefully-edited work. He was famous for emphasizing the need for brevity in all of his official documents. He had little patience for anyone who could not exercise similar discipline. Once, when evaluating a lengthy report, he remarked, “This…
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The Sark Invasion: A One-Man Attempt to Take the Island

Learn about the Sark invasion — an one-man attempt to conquer the island.
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Finding an Aspiring Artist In Every Child

Legendary cartoonist Mort Walker is remembered as the creator of the popular comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois. In his book, Lexicon of Comicana, he reflected on the artistic potential to be found in every person. He wrote, “Every child is a cartoonist. We all begin by drawing crude symbols of people and…
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One Small Step for Man — One Tiny Adjustment to the Budget

The budget for mankind’s first manned mission to the moon was about $25.4 billion. Buried within the countless lines of expense details is the cost for one of the most memorable aspects of the mission. The cost for that could probably be covered by the spare change you have laying around your home.
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Combining Childbirth With Amusement Park Technology

We are led to understand that the process of delivering a baby can be somewhat difficult. Fortunately, for expectant mothers everywhere, inventors George and Charlotte Blonsky have come to the rescue with a revolutionary method for inducing and facilitating labor.
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Cube-Shaped Wombat Poop and Other Scientific Breakthroughs

We at Commonplace Fun Facts are big fans of the Ig Nobel Prize and its mission to “first make people laugh, then make them think.” The list of 2019 laureates touched on many different facets of human knowledge, including the geometric dimensions of wombat dung, the differences between living and dead magnetized critters, and proving…
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Doling Out the Difference Between Dole and Nixon

One of the favorite sons of the state of Kansas is former U.S. Senator Bob Dole. He is admired for his service to the country and for his brilliant sense of humor. Dole gained a reputation for using his dry sense of humor to drive home a point. When speaking of his sometimes-strained relationship with…
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Lincoln Gets Burned By Red-Hot Stove Story

No one appreciated a funny story better than Abraham Lincoln. Whenever he heard something that made him chuckle, he filed the story away in his memory to use again when the opportunity presented itself. Occasionally, those to whom he told the stories were not as amused as he was.
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Fatherhood Prepares Lincoln For the Presidency

While Abraham Lincoln was living in Springfield, Illinois, one of his neighbors looked out the window and saw a curious sight. The tall, lanky lawyer was walking down the street with his sons Willie and Tad, carrying one boy under each arm. The boys were screaming at each other and trying to land punches. Without…
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How Henry Ford Helped Make Backyard BBQ Easier for Everyone

Henry Ford was famous for promoting his game-changing Model T automobile, telling consumers they could have the car in any color, as long as it was black. There was another game-changing innovation for which he was responsible. Like the car that made him famous, it, too, was available only in black.
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