Commonplace Fun Facts

The 1927 White House Renovation and the Overdue Bill to the King of England

Calvin Coolidge, the 1927 White House renovation, and the deadpan joke that Britain should get the bill for damage dating back to the War of 1812.

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May 1, 2026May 1, 2026

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Put Down That Dynamite — This Squirrel is Protected

No matter how much those squirrels may be bothering you, you’re going to have to resort to means other than heavy explosives if you want to get rid of them. That’s the case, at least, if you live in Connecticut. Sec. 26-88 of the Connecticut Code states, “No person shall take or attempt to take…
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As Stubborn as a … Hinny?

When a female horse and male donkey mate, the offspring is called a mule, but when a male horse and female donkey mate, the offspring is called a hinny. source
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Can You Get Over the Hump and Drink Camel Milk?

If you have difficulty drinking all the milk in your refrigerator before it spoils, you might consider switching to camel milk. It has a feature you will appreciate: it does not curdle.
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Comedian-in-Chief

Not a lot of people were laughing on September 22, 1862. The Civil War was about a year and a half old, and it was proving to be much more trying than either side had imagined. When President Abraham Lincoln called his War Cabinet into session that day, his advisors arrived in a grim and…
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Pepto Bismol — For More Than Just an Upset Tummy

Exposing Pepto Bismol to high heat will reduce it to a chunk of metal known as a bismuth slag. See a video demonstration here.
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Hey, I May Be A Sleazy Drug Dealer, But At Least I Pay My Taxes!

In 2005 Tennessee began requiring drug dealers to anonymously pay taxes on any illegal substances they sold. Commonly known as “The Crack Tax,” it allowed the state to collect revenue from any drug dealer who was arrested without proof of having paid the tax. In 2009 the state’s supreme court found the law unconstitutional. source
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And You Think Paying Your Taxes Stinks?

During the 1st century AD, Roman emperor Vespasian (ruled 69-79) placed a tax on urine. The urine from public urinals was sold as an essential ingredient for several chemical processes, such as tanning leather, and by launderers as a source of ammonia to clean and whiten woolen clothing. A thriving market of urine collectors developed,…
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Toilets on the ISS: Clogging Up the Diplomatic Channels

How do astronauts deal with clogged toilets on the ISS? Find out here!
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The Apollo 11 Contingency Speech: What Nixon Would Have Said If Astronauts Died on the Moon

Before the rocket launched, Nixon prepared an Apollo 11 contingency speech in case the astronauts were stranded on the Moon. Read the chilling speech that was never used.
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Ministers Marry Lots of People… But Typically By Officiating, Not By Participating

Rev. Glynn “Scotty” Wolfe (1908 – 1997) holds the Guinness World Record for the largest number of monogamous marriages. Between 1926 and his death in 1997, Wolfe was married twenty-nine times to 26 different women. The longest marriage lasted eleven years. The shortest was nineteen days. Four of the marriages ended with the death of…
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It’s Bad Enough Being the Middle Child; Imagine Being #35 Out of 69

The record for the most children born to one woman belongs to Valentina Vassilyeva of Shuya, Russia, who gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets between 1725 and 1765. In 27 birthing events, she gave birth to 69 children, 67 of whom survived infancy.
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There Were So Many Bathers, Could They Find the River?

The Kumbh Mela is a tradition within the Hindu faith where the faithful gather for ceremonial bathing in a sacred river. On February 10, 2013, over thirty million people participated at Allahabad, India, making it the largest peaceful gathering of people for one day’s event. source
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Consider the Consequences of Marriage

One has to marvel at how much Miss Fannie loved Mr. Licker to have agreed to take his name: source
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A Friend of Petty Criminals, Prostitutes and/or Republicans

From the obituary of Louis J. Casimir Jr.: Louis J. Casimir Jr. bought the farm Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004, having lived more than twice as long as he had expected and probably three or four times as long as he deserved. Although he was born into an impecunious family, in a backward and benighted part…
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What Happens When Buffalo Butt, Old Fart, Funny Face, and Thunder Child Mourn Beef/Pork/Bubba?

From the obituary of James Robert “Beef” Ward: James Robert “Beef” Ward, 39, passed away Thursday, September 1, 2005, at O.S.U. East Hospital. He will be sadly and sorely missed by his loving family. Jimmy, whom his family affectionately called “Pork” or “Bubba”, will be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor along with his…
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