Commonplace Fun Facts

10 Illnesses That Changed History and Redirected the World

Discover 10 illnesses that changed history, altered dynasties, toppled plans, reshaped governments, and even redrew maps.

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September 23, 2026

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Take Some Mummy Powder, A Few Drops of Gladiator Blood, and Call Me in the Morning

Quack medicine is nothing new. Over the centuries, people have ingested some pretty disgusting things in hopes of curing whatever ails them. Consider some of the following examples from history: Mellified Man: Take one male volunteer aged 70 or 80, bathe him, and feed him with nothing but honey. Upon his death (usually within a…
Read more: Take Some Mummy Powder, A Few Drops of Gladiator Blood, and Call Me in the Morning
You’ve Heard of Flying Reindeer; What About Pollyanna, the Reindeer of the Deep Seas?

Pollyanna, with officers of the HMS Trident The British submarine HMS Trident had an unusual crew member for part of its World War II service: a reindeer named Pollyanna. The Trident was among a fleet of submarines and supply ships that the British Navy sent to support the Soviet Union after the Nazis invaded in…
Read more: You’ve Heard of Flying Reindeer; What About Pollyanna, the Reindeer of the Deep Seas?
The Christmas Truce 1914: A Heartwarming Tale of Peace During War

Discover the moving story of the Christmas Truce 1914, when German and British soldiers laid down arms to share carols, gifts, and even a soccer game during WWI.
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Have Yourself a Jewish Little Christmas

Many of the most popular Christmas songs were written by Jewish songwriters:
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Who Wants to Spend Christmas Looking at Planets?

For the Voyager space exploration program, engineers plotted around 10,000 potential trajectories and then narrowed them down to find the optimal mission objectives. They chose trajectories that would reduce or eliminate planetary encounters taking place over the Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays. source
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Making a List of Who is Naughty, Nice, and Who Will Be Eaten

Not content with just one Santa Claus, Iceland has thirteen of them. Known as “Jolasveinar” or “Yule Lads,” they are the sons of the trolls Gryla and Leppaludi, who would eat children who have been naughty throughout the year. Originally the Jolasveinar were much like their parents, but they mellowed with the years, and instead…
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Another First for the American Space Program

On December 16, 1965, astronauts Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra were on Gemini 6 when they transmitted the following message: “Gemini VII, this is Gemini VI. We have an object, looks like a satellite going from north to south, up in a polar orbit. He’s in a very low trajectory traveling from north to south…
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I’m Dreaming of a Best Seller

“White Christmas”, written by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby, is the best-selling single song of all time. With estimated sales in excess of 50 million for the original version and over 100 million sales for all versions, it has topped the charts since it was released in 1949 and has never been out…
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No Tree for Teddy

President Theodore Roosevelt banned Christmas trees from the White House in 1901 out of concerns for protecting the environment. source
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And THAT is a Symbol of Kissing?

Mistletoe (Viscum album) is from the Anglo-Saxon word misteltan, which means “little dung twig” because the plant spreads through bird droppings. source
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Spinning a Web of Ukraine Christmas Blessings

In Poland and Ukraine, spiders and spider webs are popular Christmas tree decorations, inspired by a legend that a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. Additionally, Polish tradition views spiders as symbols of goodness and prosperity during the Christmas season.
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All of the Other Reindeer Used to Mock His Nasal Microcirculation

Scientists studying the origin of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s most-distinctive feature believe they have figured out why his nose is so bright. The short story is that it is due to an over-abundance of red blood cells. More precisely, “detailed evaluation of adult reindeer’s nasal microcirculation revealed similarities with human nasal microvasculature, but also striking…
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No Obstacle Too Great

Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994) was 4.5 pounds when she was prematurely born. She was the 20th of 22 children from two marriages. At age four she came down with polio and had to wear a brace on her left leg and foot until she was nine. She wore a special orthopedic shoe until age 11. By…
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Never Argue With a Judge — Even When He Calls Himself an Idiot

When Tristan Ellis, a notorious burglar, showed up in front of Australian Judge Dean Mildren on March 29, 2004, it was the third time that year he had been arrested. The judge was amazed that Ellis had been released on bail for the third time in a year, even after flagrantly ignoring a court-imposed curfew.…
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Keep Track of All Participants in Your Conversation

The distinguished British actor Sir John Gielgud sometimes lost track of the identity of the person with whom he was speaking. This occasionally generated some awkwardness. Once, while dining in a restaurant with a playwright, Gielgud spied someone he thought he recognized. “Did you see that man just coming in?” he asked his companion. “He’s…
Read more: Keep Track of All Participants in Your Conversation

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