Ludwig Roselius was not at all happy. He paid good money to have his shipment sent to Europe, but when it arrived, it was ruined. He looked at the spoiled shipment and […]
How a Spoiled Shipment Transformed a Popular Beverage
How much will kill you?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “poison” as “a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.” At first glance, that seems to […]
How Sweden’s King Experimented on Prisoners With Coffee
Coffee 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 […]
Coffee, Crypts, Bones, and Friars — the Origin of the Cappuccino
What do coffee, crypts, bones, and friars have in common? No, they aren’t the ingredients for a misguided Halloween party theme. They are, instead, the basis for what may be one of […]
Totally Awesome Facts About Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
As the release date for Bill & Ted Face the Music approaches, the nerdiness level at Commonplace Fun Facts Headquarters is rising exponentially. In anticipation of the sequel that has been almost […]
If You Like Strong Coffee, You Might Be a Psychopath
If the findings of a recent study are accurate, the next time you order strong coffee, you might be asked if you want cream, sugar, or anti-psychotic medications to go with it. […]
Coffee So Strong That it Shapes a Language
Coffee has been integral to Turkish culture for over 500 years. Turkish coffee is made by brewing finely-ground coffee beans, which are then left in the beverage when it is served. The […]
Starbucks at the CIA: Customer Names Are a Grande Secret
If you visit the Starbucks at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, everything about the experience will be just like it would be in any of the other 31,000-plus stores around the world […]
Is Your Coffee Cold? Try Yelling at It
If taking a sip of cold coffee gets your dander up, making you want to yell, you might as well go ahead and let loose. You can actually heat your coffee through […]
Can a Dinosaur Outrun a Human? Your Tax Dollars at Work
When you look at your paystub and see how much of your earnings ended up being sent to Washington, DC in taxes, you may occasionally wonder how the government uses your money. […]
A Classical Composition about Classic Caffeine Compulsion
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is primarily known as a classical composer of Christian music. It was rare that he strayed from religious themes in his music, but when he did it was […]
Easy as Pi… Well, As Easy as Coffee, Anyway
Want to remember the value of Pi (3.1415926) in an easy way? You can do it by counting each word’s letters in “May I have a large container of coffee?”
Realism = Hyper-Caffeinated
Honoré de Balzac, widely considered as one of the founders of realism in European literature, drank 50 cups of coffee each day. He was well regarded for having keen observation of detail […]
Would You Like Your Coffee with Cream, Sugar, or Urine?
In March 2009 James Carroll Butler found that working with his co-worker, Michael Utz, was more than he could handle. Butler collected urine from the toilet and poured it into Utz’s coffee. […]
Give Me Coffee or Give Me Death
Drinking coffee in Turkey was against the law in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Those caught breaking the law were put to death. source
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