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 Time Churchill Got Stood Up By Hitler

Winston Churchill did not appreciate being kept waiting. Even worse, he despised being stood up. As this great man sat and looked with irritation at the clock, he realized he was about to be stood up for the second time in as many days. This was confirmed when Churchill received a message, telling him that…
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Weight Reduction Through Optical Illusion

Watching one’s weight is especially important during the holiday season. Lots of fad diets and dietary products promise miraculous results but ultimately prove to be mere illusions. There is, however, one illusion that can help keep the pounds off. Learn about the Delboeuf illusion and how it can help you get past the holidays without…
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The Cigarette That Mixed Asbestos With Tobacco for “Health Protection”

There have been some real head-scratching products hoisted upon an unsuspecting public. Many of these have been documented here at Commonplace Fun Facts, such as radioactive toothpaste, the cure-all medicine that caused a patient’s jaw to fall off, and gladiator blood as a treatment for epilepsy. Just when we think we have seen it all,…
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Why Is This 2-Story Building Home to 285,000 Companies?

There are certain addresses that just about everyone knows because of the wealth or power associated with them. Addresses such as 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or 10 Downing Street are connected in our culture with more than real estate; they represent the power and authority of those who reside there. In a world where money is…
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How Nauru Went from Riches to Ruin: The Bizarre Story of a Bad Musical and National Economic Collapse

Discover how Nauru, once the world’s richest country, fell into financial ruin through poor economic choices, corruption, and an ill-fated musical investment.
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Did the USA Really Use ‘00000000’ as a Nuclear Launch Code? The Scary and Shocking Truth!

Did the USA truly use ‘00000000’ as a nuclear launch code? Discover the real history, security concerns, and expert insights into this alarming Cold War-era security lapse.
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What if the President Goes Stark-Raving Mad? Presidential Succession Due to Disability

UPDATED November 19, 2021 An earlier post answered the question about what would happen if something happens to a presidential candidate during the election process. There, we discussed all kinds of scenarios, ranging from the time prior to the party conventions, all the way up to a death after the candidate takes office. Left unanswered…
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Dreams So Powerful That They Shaped History

Scientists, philosophers, and theologians have long pondered and theorized about dreams. What are they? What causes them? What purpose do they serve? The debates about dreams continue, but one thing is certain: some dreams are so powerful that they make an impact on the waking world. Sometimes the dream may affect the personal decisions of…
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Loving Dogs By Knowing Humanity

“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.” — Charles de Gaulle
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The Loneliest Man in the World — Meet the Sole Survivor of a Mysterious Tribe

UPDATED AUGUST 29, 2022 2020 is the year we all became familiar with the concept of “social distancing.” Deep within the rainforest of the Amazon is a man who may not have heard those words, but he has been putting it into practice better than anyone on the planet. Meet the Man of the Hole…
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Relive the Wonder of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair

In 1893, Chicago threw a big party in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ voyage to the New World. It was a spectacular affair. For five months, people from all over the world flocked to Chicago to take in the sights, which included such things as the first Ferris Wheel, cultural exhibitions, lectures,…
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Mass Hysteria in the Middle Ages: The True Tale of the Meowing Nuns With Biting Issues

The Middle Ages saw a peculiar outbreak of meowing nuns who started biting everyone. Find out about this weird case of mass hysteria in this fascinating article.
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The Kleptomaniac King Who Walked With Winston’s Watch

Being the king of a nation generally brings enough wealth and power to meet most of a person’s wants and needs. Of course, there is the typical curse of affluence, when the possessor of wealth is unsatisfied and still wants more. Even so, it hardly seems likely that even a greedy king would have to…
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How an Overflowing Toilet Caused a Submarine to Sink

Few things are more distressing than an overflowing toilet. Aside from the utter revulsion at having one’s home invaded by the toilet’s contents and the need to get it cleaned up as soon as possible, there is the danger of damage to floors, cabinets, and anything (and anyone) that might be on the lower levels.…
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What Happens When a Presidential Candidate Dies During the Election Process?

A colleague of ours recently asked what would happen if one of the candidates for President happened to die during the election process. She said, “I pray it doesn’t happen, but after all, this is 2020, and if anything can go wrong, it seems like this is the year for it.” The answer to the…
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