The Day a Cheese Cannonball Was Fired in War (Yes, Really)
Yes, a cheese cannonball was really fired in war. Discover this bizarre moment and other strange facts from the devastating Paraguayan War.
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Seed Sizes, Big and Small
Read more: Seed Sizes, Big and SmallExplore the largest and smallest seed sizes in the nature.
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Was Tycho a Psycho? Weird Facts About Tycho Brahe, One of History’s Greatest Astronomers
Read more: Was Tycho a Psycho? Weird Facts About Tycho Brahe, One of History’s Greatest AstronomersTycho Brahe: Eccentric Genius and a Bit Bonkers Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) was one of the greatest astronomers to ever live. He was also probably at least a little bit off his gourd if history is to judge. The Danish astronomer who brought a new level of exactitude to astronomical observations and applied that specificity to…
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And You Thought Heating Oil Was Expensive?
Read more: And You Thought Heating Oil Was Expensive?The oil used by jewelers to lubricate watches and clocks costs about $3,000 per gallon. Thanks to Factened for this fun fact!
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Tuning the Helicopters
Read more: Tuning the HelicoptersThe Helikopter-Streichquartett is a musical composition that requires four helicopters and a string quartet.
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Like Sand Through the Hourglass, So Go the Galaxies
Read more: Like Sand Through the Hourglass, So Go the GalaxiesIf you want to obscure your view of something, a grain of sand is probably not the first thing that you would choose. It is so small that it is hard to think of too many things it could cover. Would you believe that a single grain of sand is sufficient to block out your…
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To Mass We Go — Get Your Skates
Read more: To Mass We Go — Get Your SkatesGoing to Grandma’s house in a one-horse open sleigh might be your ideal means of Christmas travel, but for residents of Caracas, Venezuela, the tradition is for the entire city to roller-skate to early morning Christmas Mass. source
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The Caganer Tradition: Why a Pooping Man Appears in Catalan Nativity Displays
Read more: The Caganer Tradition: Why a Pooping Man Appears in Catalan Nativity DisplaysThe Caganer, a figure of a pooping man, is a unique addition to nativity scenes in Catalonia. Its origins are unclear, but theories suggest it symbolizes fertility, humility, or shock value. Despite its unconventional nature, the Roman Catholic Church has accepted this custom within the highly-Catholic Catalan community for over 200 years.
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Caterpillars Roasting on an Open Fire
Read more: Caterpillars Roasting on an Open FireIf fruitcake, Christmas cookies, or candy canes aren’t your thing, you might consider trying the South African holiday tradition. Locals celebrate Christmas with a hearty plate of deep-fried caterpillars of the Emperor Moth. source
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An Extra Leap for Magnetic Personalities
Read more: An Extra Leap for Magnetic PersonalitiesMark Twain (who is featured in multiple posts here on Commonplace Fun Facts) wrote about the lengths some people will go to in order to get a frog to outjump other frogs. One trick that wasn’t discussed in The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County was magnetism. If only he had known that if you put…
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“счастливого Рождества” or “Merry Christmas” — What Day To Say It?
Read more: “счастливого Рождества” or “Merry Christmas” — What Day To Say It?If you live in Russia or Ukraine, you probably celebrate Christmas on January 7, due to the different calendar kept by the Orthodox Church.
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It’s Not Easy Being Green in Japan
Read more: It’s Not Easy Being Green in JapanJapan is the largest exporter of frog legs.
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Radioactive Boy Scout
Read more: Radioactive Boy ScoutWhen the Boy Scouts of America approved the Atomic Energy Merit Badge in 1963, they probably did not envision the lengths future members would go in furtherance of their knowledge of atomic energy. They certianly did not anticipate David Hahn, who, in 1994, would attempt to earn his merit badge by building a breeder reactor in…
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Body Ritual Among the Nacirema: Understanding Horace Miner’s Satirical Study
Read more: Body Ritual Among the Nacirema: Understanding Horace Miner’s Satirical StudyDiscover Horace Miner’s satirical essay on the Nacirema, exposing American rituals through anthropological parody still taught in classrooms today.
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Happy Birthday to the Chief
Read more: Happy Birthday to the ChiefUPDATED August 29, 2022 Birthdays are always a time of celebration, whether you live in a small shack or the White House. How much do you know about Presidential birthdays? February may be the month in which President’s Day is celebrated, and most people remember the February birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, but…
