Discover the story of Guaíra Falls, also called Sete Quedas, the massive waterfall complex on the Brazil-Paraguay border that disappeared beneath the Itaipu Dam reservoir in 1982.
Keep readingCheck Out the Latest
As a public service, Commonplace Fun Facts has warned its readers about many of life’s hazards. The dangers of vending machines, overflowing submarine toilets, and spontaneously-combusting pants have been well documented in these pages. We now urge our readers to turn your wary eyes upward and to diligently be on the lookout for the latest…
No one likes to be tied up in traffic. It doesn’t matter whether the slowdown is caused by construction, a patch of ice, or an accident; when sitting in tangled traffic, every lost minute feels like an hour. Although we can’t do anything to save you from future traffic jams, we might be able to…
What can you do with 45 minutes? You might watch an hour-long television program by skipping the commercials. You could walk three miles at an average pace. Your time could be spent whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies. You might choose to be truly creative and stage an accurate recreation of the Anglo-Zanzibar…
Discover the jaw-dropping story behind ‘Space Cadets,’ the most expensive TV hoax ever, where contestants believed they were trained for space travel. Learn how a reality TV show fooled its participants with Hollywood magic.
Hippocrates is considered to be the father of modern medicine. Even so, you may find his treatment of hemorrhoids particularly troubling.
Admittedly, the Commonplace Fun Facts editorial department is not exactly a paragon of cultural sophistication. This is especially true when it comes to the phenomenon known as Modern Art. For this reason, we tend to delight in those situations that confirm our belief that the experts in this field are more delusional than they are…
The integrity of democracy requires decisive action to prevent voter fraud. When Maldivian police received reports of possible election tampering, they rushed to the scene and took the suspect into custody. The suspect was described as “young.” By all accounts, the suspect was nutty. That’s not an indictment against the suspect’s mental condition; it’s an…
Nothing speaks to authentic medieval culture than the words “ye olde.” If you see those words as part of the name of an establishment, you know it is a place steeped in history. Except, it isn’t. Fans of the television show The Big Bang Theory know that this is a point of irritation for Sheldon.…
Georgy Zhukov was a hero of the Soviet Union, but he had an embarrassing secret. He was an addict. What made it worse was that his addiction, if known, would be especially shameful. Addiction to something as ordinary as alcohol would scarcely have raised an eyebrow. For Zhukov, it wasn’t vodka that preoccupied his waking…
Learn about the remarkable creation of the iconic chocolate chip cookie and the woman who came up with the idea.
Do you know someone who has a case of mulligrubs? No, it’s not a bushel of strange worms. It isn’t a gross rash resulting from poor hygiene, either.
In 1982, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became a sensation, surpassing Star Wars as the highest-grossing film. Companies vied to link their merchandise to the movie, with mixed results. Amblin Productions first approached Mars, Inc. to feature M&M’s, but the offer was declined. Hershey stepped in and agreed to a product placement deal with Reese’s Pieces, resulting…
Discover the surprising physics behind the question: Is a cat a liquid or a solid? Learn about the science of rheology, the Deborah number, and how cats defy expectations!
Just how sensitive is your nose? We know that animal noses tend to be much more nuanced to different aromas than their human counterparts. Even so, how many different scents do you think your sniffer could identify?
Depending on how long it has been since you have cleaned your sofa, lifting the cushions can be both horrifying and rewarding. You may find a ghastly collection of pet hair, potato chips, and things that could only be described as fuel for nightmares. You might also find a nice collection of coins, that pocket…
