How California Got Its Name from a Mythical Island, a Warrior Queen, and a Book Most People Have Never Heard Of
A mythical island ruled by warrior women? Find out how California got its name from a book that no one remembers.
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Niagara Falls Was Once Shut Off, With Surprising and Grisly Results
Read more: Niagara Falls Was Once Shut Off, With Surprising and Grisly ResultsDepending 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…
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Flush These Fun Toilet Facts
Read more: Flush These Fun Toilet FactsPerhaps the most important but least-talked-about piece of furniture in your home is the humble toilet. We tend to take it for granted — unless it is unavailable when we need it. Take a moment and consider these tantilizing toilet tidbits.
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Rebrand of Suicide Bridge To Promote Life Surprisingly Backfires
Read more: Rebrand of Suicide Bridge To Promote Life Surprisingly BackfiresThe beautiful Han River is one of the primary geographic features of Seoul, South Korea. Spanning the river to connect the Mapo and Yeongdeungpo districts is a majestic bridge that has been known by several names. Officially, it was called the Seoul Bridge until 1984, when it was renamed the Mapo Bridge. It is by…
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Luxury Potato Chips Priced at $11 Each
Read more: Luxury Potato Chips Priced at $11 EachWhen it comes to luxury items, things related to potatoes are no small potatoes. When we reported the $1 million sale of a potato photograph, we thought it was a fluke. Now we learn of another luxury item: the $11 potato chip.
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Uncovering The Revolutionary Scandal Of George Washington’s Overdue Library Books
Read more: Uncovering The Revolutionary Scandal Of George Washington’s Overdue Library BooksLearn about George Washington’s overdue library books and how this early presidential scandal was discovered.
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The Glass is Not Half Full if You Have Cenosillicaphobia
Read more: The Glass is Not Half Full if You Have CenosillicaphobiaAre you a “glass half empty” or “glass half full” type of person? If you suffer from cenosillicaphobia, you will be satisfied with either of those scenarios. Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of having an empty glass.
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Earworms: Why Is That Song Stuck In Your Head and What Can You Do About It?
Read more: Earworms: Why Is That Song Stuck In Your Head and What Can You Do About It?Why do you get a song stuck in your head? Find out what causes earworms and how to deal with them.
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What Were These Headline Writers Thinking?
Read more: What Were These Headline Writers Thinking?A headline is designed to capture the reader’s attention and draw him or her into the story. Sometimes that happens in entirely unexpected ways. Take a look at some of the most hilarious headlines to have graced the newspapers.
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Conplan 888: The Suprising U.S. Government Plan for Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse
Read more: Conplan 888: The Suprising U.S. Government Plan for Surviving the Zombie ApocalypseConplan 888: Proof that the Government Has a Plan for Everything If you are a reasonably well-informed person (which you obviously are, since you read Commonplace Fun Facts), you know that the U.S. government has plans for just about everything. These contingencies range from the plan for making sure you pay your taxes after a…
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What is the Difference Between a Judge and a Law Student?
Read more: What is the Difference Between a Judge and a Law Student?The first Monday of October is the traditional beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court’s term. In honor of the occasion and with all due respect to the nine justices who are about to convene, we are reminded of the words of one of our favorite curmudgeons.
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How Much Does the Internet Weigh?
Read more: How Much Does the Internet Weigh?At first glance, asking about the weight of the internet may seem to be as nonsensical as inquiring about the flavor of one of Mozart’s compositions. It isn’t as if the internet is some tangible thing you could bundle up and put on the bathroom scales, is it? Don’t be too quick to dismiss the…
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What is the Real Story of Humpty Dumpty?
Read more: What is the Real Story of Humpty Dumpty?One of the first rhymes learned by children is “Humpty Dumpty.” We all know that poor ol’ Humpty was an anthropomorphic egg who, despite his fragile physique, unwisely sat on a wall. The error of his ways was evident when he took a tumble and broke into bits. Also, for reasons never satisfactorily explained, the…
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An Ounce of Gold Weighs More Than an Ounce of Feathers
Read more: An Ounce of Gold Weighs More Than an Ounce of FeathersWhich weighs more: an ounce of gold or an ounce of feathers? The answer is not as simple as you may think.
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How Sweden’s King Experimented on Prisoners With Coffee
Read more: How Sweden’s King Experimented on Prisoners With CoffeeCoffee seems to have had a love/hate relationship with royalty. For centuries, many people viewed the caffeinated beverage with suspicion. Around the year 1600, many in Roman Catholic circles viewed coffee as evil, prompting Pope Clement VIII’s advisors to urge him to denounce the drink. Fortunately for coffee lovers, the pontiff refused to opine on…
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Is the Risk Worth the Reward? Understanding Micromorts and Microlives
Read more: Is the Risk Worth the Reward? Understanding Micromorts and MicrolivesWhen considering whether to do something, do you ever consider the risks? If you knew that one activity would certainly bring an immediate end to your life, you probably would not be very inclined to proceed. If, on the other hand, it would only reduce your life expectancy by a day, you might be willing…
