The man was clearly a fraud. He claimed to be the inventor of a revolutionary device that would save countless lives, but it was all a lie. His closest associate was a […]
The Courageous Inventor Who Fought Fire and Prejudice
The Horrible Five-Week Visit That Destroyed a Friendship
It shouldn’t have been surprising that Chuck and John struck up a friendship. After all, the two men had a lot in common. They shared many of the same interests, a common […]
How a King Who Lost His Edge Gained Fame By Encouraging Waste
The King had lost his edge. There was no sense denying it. The loss of his edge cut deeply, and it was obvious to anyone who knew him. He started off with […]
Be Prepared for Something of Great Interest to Follow
It was a cold night in the Atlantic Ocean. The crew ship that was operated by the United Fruit Company thought it was going to be an ordinary evening. Then the radio […]
Why Do Prices Always End With 99 Cents?
Being the intelligent, observant, and contemplative person that makes you a reader of Commonplace Fun Facts, you have undoubtedly noticed something about prices. They always seem to end with 99 cents. It’s […]
The Unexpected Hero Found in an Unmarked Grave
He was known to be a hooligan. Technically, he was a “Hooligan” with a capital H. Known by the locals as Happy Hooligan, Fred was one of the more colorful characters of […]
A Sailor, A Prayer, and a Purposeful Life
Lieutenant King heard the alarm and rushed to duty. It was December 1944. His ship was facing its biggest battle of World War II. The mighty USS Monterey had been in service […]
The Face Behind the Most-Famous Self Portrait
Take a close look at the face of the man in the picture above. Do you recognize him? Look again. You have seen his face more times than you can count, but […]
The Ghosts That Haunt the White House
They say that the house is haunted. Ridiculous, you say? No educated person believes in ghosts! Before you utterly dismiss the claims, however, you would do well to consider the credentials of […]
Measuring By the Meter, Foot, and Smoot
If you are accustomed to the metric system, imperial units can be perplexing. There is logic in the fact that there are 1,000 meters in a kilometer or ten centimeters in a […]
Human Memory Began on Thursday, July 6, 1189
“Time immemorial.” That’s the term we use to describe anything that has been around for so long that no one knows when it started. It is older than human memory. It refers […]
How a Young Actor Rose Above Dirty Tricks
The young actor was excited to learn he had been cast alongside a Hollywood legend. He was still trying to find his place in the entertainment world. Appearing next to one of […]
Beware the Unintended Consequences of the Cobra Effect
Incentives. We love them. Without our parents’ offer of a cash bonus for good grades, we probably would have totally blown off Mrs. Smethels’ Home Economics class in 8th grade. The incentive […]
Fugitive Charlie’s Fearful Flight
Charlie was a fugitive. He had been running for a long time. It felt as if everyone had turned against him. He was at one of the lowest points of his life. […]
How to Recognize a Logical Fallacy — Part 1
Reasoned, civil discourse is increasingly a thing of the past. Rather than analyze disagreements through some rational filter, social media seems to encourage the debate strategy of screaming loud enough to drown […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 