Commonplace Fun Facts

Colorblindness: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why Your Charts Are the Problem

Explore colorblindness: what it is, common myths, causes, everyday challenges, and surprising advantages in this humorous, informative guide.

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April 4, 2026April 4, 2026

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The Draconian Lawgiver Who Was Killed By His Popularity

Draco, a 7th-century BC Athenian legislator, is known for establishing written laws that improved legal clarity despite their harshness, leading to the term “draconian.” Ironically popular, he was suffocated by gifts from admirers, demonstrating the paradox of his legacy as both a feared lawmaker and a beloved figure in Athenian society.
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This School’s Most Famous Student Never Existed

Georgia Institute of Technology is a research university based in Atlanta, Georgia. Since its establishment in 1885, Georgia Tech has awarded degrees to tens of thousands of students. None of them have come close to surpassing the fame and accomplishments of 1930 graduate George P. Burdell. Although nearly a century has passed since Burdell’s enrollment,…
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The Failed Soviet Plan to Build a Flying Tank

Imagine that you are a soldier in World War II. In the heat of battle, your attention is focused on the advancing enemy. With no sounds to suggest any hostile aircraft are in the vicinity, you have no reason to glance upward. Then, to your utter astonishment, the impossible takes place before your eyes. A…
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From Pop Songs to the White House — Fun With Mathematical Constants

In the world of science and mathematics, there are certain numbers, functions, and equations of such importance that they have earned distinctive titles. “Avagadro’s Number,” “Planck Constant,” “Pi,” and “Faraday Constant” are just a few examples. Then we have some that are not as widely known, but they are just plain fun.
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Overheard at the Convention of Cool-Talking Chemists

What can we say? Even cool-talking chemists learn to just say no to any offer of sodium hypobromite.
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The Omnificent English Dictionary In Limerick Form

Here at Commonplace Fun Facts, we love words. We also love limericks. When we stumbled across The OEDILF, we thought someone had been taking a peek at our Christmas gift wish list.
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Smarties: The Sweet Story of Candy Instead of Bullets

In 1949, Edward Dee converted a gunpowder pellet machine into a candy-making device, launching the Ce De Candy Company and creating Smarties, originally known for different flavors. Now a global phenomenon, Smarties are produced at a rapid pace, remaining a family business and featuring fruity flavors, retaining Dee’s legacy after his passing in 2019.
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Visit the Only Federally-Maintained Bigfoot Trap in the World

They say if you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door. Alternatively, you can build a half-way decent Sasquatch trap that has yet to catch the elusive creature, and you’ll still get a fair number of visitors.
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Meet the Bear Who Was Sentenced to Life in a Kazakh Prison

She was 21 years old when she entered the penal colony. On one horrible, inexplicable night, Katya viciously attacked an 11-year-old boy and a 28-year-old man. That night in 2004 changed her life forever, earning her a place of punishment and isolation. She lived out her days behind bars at UK-161/2 penal colony in Kostanay,…
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The Freaky Fate of Oliver Cromwell’s Head

You know about Oliver Cromwell, but do you know what happened to his head? Find out the strange journey of the head of the Head of the Commonwealth.
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How the Mona Lisa Became the World’s Most Famous Painting By Being Stolen

The Mona Lisa is the most famous painting in the world. Ask anyone to list the most important artwork in history, and you can be sure that Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic painting will make that list. It is famous, valuable, and unquestionably important. It always has been. Or has it?
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Henry’s Invention That Transformed Warfare

Henry was an ambitious officer. He had his sights set on greatness. He wanted his name to be remembered by future generations. He got his wish. This is the story of why you remember his name today, even if you didn’t know why you know it.
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What Caused the Curse of Colonel Sanders?

The image of Col. Harlan Sanders tends to evoke happy thoughts. The founder and symbol of Kentucky Fried Chicken is a grandfatherly, pleasant-looking chap. The last thing you would associate with him would be a curse. Unless you are a fan of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team, that is.
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The Extreme Sport of Ferret-Legging

Have you ever wondered how certain sports started? The origins of baseball and basketball are not too difficult to understand. Other sports, such as the goat-dragging, horse-riding event of Buzkashi can leave you scratching your head, wondering how anyone ever thought it up. With that in mind, try to imagine how boring life must have…
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Take a Stroll Down the World’s Shortest Street

Taking a stroll to the end of the street might be just the thing so you can get some fresh air and get the blood flowing. If you happen to be staying at the Mackay’s Hotel, your stroll to the end of the street won’t take a lot of time. It is just two steps.
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