It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.
Thomas Sowell
I’m Ignorant, Therefore I’m Not
Super Sticky — Accidental History
Eastman Kodak research Harry Coover discovered Superglue years before he figured out what to do with it. At first, its stickiness infuriated him. Coover first came across cyanoacrylates (the chemical name for […]
It Goes Without Saying that This Guy Isn’t a Partical Physicist
In September 2012, David Weber, a 53-year-old homeless man from Miami Beach, Florida, broke into a car, stole a credit card and then tried to use it to buy a beer — […]
The Perfect Aviation Crime
On the night before Thanksgiving, November 24, 1971, a passenger by the name of Dan Cooper boarded a plane in Portland, Oregon, bound for Seattle. Clad in a suit and raincoat, wearing […]
Go, Go, Gogh!
During his lifetime, Vincent Van Gogh sold only one painting, and this was to a friend and only for a very small amount of money. While Van Gogh was never a success […]
Repeated Failure = MC2
Most of us take Albert Einstein’s name as synonymous with genius, but he didn’t always show such promise. Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he […]
History Tries to Tip the Scales
Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln, was once saved from possible serious injury or death by Edwin Booth, famous actor, and brother of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of his […]
The Poor Guy Just Couldn’t Win
Mark Twain lost more than a half million dollars in his lifetime from the failed inventions in which he invested. The invention that cost Twain the most was one in which he […]
I Rose And Met This Bet and Yet …..
Bennett Cerf, co-founder of Random House, one of the biggest publishing companies in the world, bet a client of his that he couldn’t write a book with fifty or fewer distinct words. […]
Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth With the World’s Most Expensive Dessert
In the mood to treat yourself to something special? A Golden Opulence sundae from New York City’s Serendipity 3 restaurant is covered in 23-carat edible gold leaf and is also rich in […]
Racing The Cheese
For nearly 200 years competitors have gathered at Cooper’s Hill in Gloucester, England for the annual Cheese Rolling. Hordes of fearless contestants chase an 8-pound Double Gloucester cheese wheel down a steep […]
No, Seriously… My Job REALLY Stinks!
Armpit sniffers work for deodorant companies. They may spend their days in a hot room sniffing up to 60 armpits an hour to determine the effectiveness of deodorant in controlling sweaty smells […]
Fall Prey to the Water Hazard? Have No Fear!
Have you ever wondered what happens to all those golf balls that end up in the ponds, lakes and streams of golf courses? They’re not left in the water to rot for […]
Just Batty About This Bridge
Austin, Texas is home to the largest population of Mexican free-tailed bats. They reside beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge — 1.5 million of them! Tweets by commonplacefact
If You Are Afraid of Something, Do Something About It
Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, was afraid of the dark. Read more fun facts about Thomas Edison. Read more fun facts about inventions. Read more fun facts about phobias.
Commonplace Fun Facts 