The Great Fire of London (1666): Strange Facts Behind the Famous Disaster
The Great Fire of London wasn’t just a disaster—it was full of odd decisions and strange moments. Here are the quirkiest facts from 1666.
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A Dose of Humor Dispels Lincoln’s Critics
Read more: A Dose of Humor Dispels Lincoln’s CriticsNo President understood the power of humor better than Abraham Lincoln. His longtime political opponent Stephen A. Douglas complained that Lincoln’s jokes were “like a slap across my back. Nothing else — not any of his arguments or any of his replies to my questions — disturbs me. But when he begins to tell a…
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A Rat-Infested Night for the Sage of Monticello
Read more: A Rat-Infested Night for the Sage of MonticelloAmong Thomas Jefferson’s many accomplishments was the brilliant design of his home, Monticello. Visitors to the colonial mansion cannot help but be impressed by the beauty, attention to detail, and intentional designs for comfort Jefferson built into every detail. Perhaps this quest for comfort was motivated, in part, by some bad experiences with accommodations earlier…
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The Limits of Vice Presidential Power
Read more: The Limits of Vice Presidential PowerIn 1922 there still was no official residence for the Vice President of the United States. Calvin Coolidge took up residence in the New Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. during his vice presidency. In April of that year, a small fire broke out in the hotel. All of the guests were evacuated from their rooms…
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Harsh Movie Reviews from the Poison Pens of Movie Critics
Read more: Harsh Movie Reviews from the Poison Pens of Movie CriticsDepending on your point of view, movie critics have the best or the worst job imaginable. They get paid to sit around and watch movies all day. That may seem like a cushy job, until you realize that they have to watch all the bad movies, as well as the good ones.
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Have the Mysteries of the Voynich Manuscript Finally Been Unlocked?
Read more: Have the Mysteries of the Voynich Manuscript Finally Been Unlocked?For 500 years, the Voynich Manuscript has baffled cryptologists with its strange plants, astronomical drawings, and indecipherable script. Has modern computing and Google Translate finally unlocked its secrets?
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When the Church’s Pulpit Battled Lincoln’s Bully Pulpit
Read more: When the Church’s Pulpit Battled Lincoln’s Bully PulpitAlthough Abraham Lincoln had a deep faith in God, he was not as quick to put his faith in those who claimed to be God’s messengers. A distinguished clergyman happened to be giving a series of speeches on theological matters, and despite repeated invitations to come and listen, Lincoln stayed away.
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The Blind King Who Blindly Went Into Battle
Read more: The Blind King Who Blindly Went Into BattleTo say that the King of Bohemia blindly rushed into battle is not an indictment on his judgment; it is a statement of fact. The Bohemian monarch lost his eyesight when he was 40 years old, thus earning him the nickname John the Blind. He met his end in battle, choosing to charge against the…
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A Royal Intervention Stops a Churchill Invasion
Read more: A Royal Intervention Stops a Churchill InvasionWinston Churchill was nothing if not determined. His tenacity and vision guided Great Britain and gave courage to all of the Allied nations at a time when those qualities were desperately needed. Sometimes his focused ambition went beyond the laudable qualities of leadership and developed into bull-headed obstinance. When this happened, no one could talk…
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Andy Rooney’s Recipe for Baked Potato Ice Cream
Read more: Andy Rooney’s Recipe for Baked Potato Ice CreamAndy Rooney (1919-2011) was a well-known television and newspaper writer. He was best known for his weekly commentaries on 60 Minutes, in which he offered humorous and often-biting observations about everyday life.
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Five Years of Blogging — What Do People Find Interesting?
Read more: Five Years of Blogging — What Do People Find Interesting?When I started Commonplace on September 9, 2014, it was a way for my sons and me to document and share things that grab our interest. The first post was a minor trivia item about Franklin D. Roosevelt’s phobia about fire. I thought these things might be of interest to a few others, but after…
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Take to the Skies With These Fun Facts About Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport
Read more: Take to the Skies With These Fun Facts About Chicago’s O’Hare International AirportAnyone who travels by airplane in the United States will inevitably travel through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Although millions pass through O’Hare every year, few take the time to contemplate some of the fun facts about this gateway to the world.
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A Cynic’s Guide to Congress
Read more: A Cynic’s Guide to CongressReaders of this site know that congress is the word used to describe a large group of salamanders. Most people, however, think of something completely different when that word is mentioned. Take a look at what some of the world’s great cynics think of this noble institution and the political system that makes it possible.
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Voltaire: A Fool and His Chains
Read more: Voltaire: A Fool and His ChainsVoltaire: “It is difficult to free fools from the chains they revere.”
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Should Abraham Lincoln Have Been a Pastor?
Read more: Should Abraham Lincoln Have Been a Pastor?As often as Abraham Lincoln referred to faith issues in speeches and ordinary conversation, one wonders if he may have felt a call toward pastoral ministry. An incident in the decade before Lincoln went to the White House suggests he might have been just as effective in ministry as he was in politics.
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A Buttload is an Actual Unit of MeasurementFebruary 5, 2020
