The ultimate test of a comedian’s greatness is the timelessness of his or her humor. Has there ever been a time when Bob Hope’s observation about politics wasn’t true? “I don’t do […]
The Danger of Political Jokes
The Armless Wonder Who Rose Above Her Circumstances
By just about every standard of society, no one should have heard about Kathryn M.R. Smith (1882-1967). Horribly disfigured at the hands of an abusive alcoholic father, the girl who went by […]
The Most Fraudulent Election in History
In an era of allegations of improperly-influenced elections, fraud, and political corruption, it may be comforting to realize that things could be worse.
The Practical Joke that Resulted in the First Woman Mayor
When Susana Salter’s name appeared on the ballot on April 4, 1887, it was all supposed to be a late April Fools Day gag. As it turned out, the joke was on […]
Meet Vermin Supreme and Ride Your Pony Into a Zombie-Powered Future
UPDATED FEBRUARY 2, 2021 to reflect the 2020 election season. Readers of Commonplace Fun Facts have already encountered a political candidate who openly declares himself to be insane, a man who couldn’t […]
The City that Elected a Foot Powder to City Council
The community of Picoazá, Ecuador apparently needs some fresh candidates for political office. During an election for city council, voters were unsatisfied with the candidates listed on the ballot. They wrote in […]
An Election Where Everyone Wins
“We will win an election when all the seats in the House and Senate and the chair behind the desk in the Oval Office and the whole bench of the Supreme Court […]
It’s Pretty Bad When Your Own V.P. Won’t Vote for You
History was made on May 9, 1872 when the National Woman’s Suffrage Association nominated Victoria Woodhull as their candidate for President of the United States. Even the most casual observer would have […]
Not the Hometown Favorite
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States more often than any other person. Despite being elected four times, he failed to carry his home county, Dutchess County, New York, […]
Short-Lived and Premature Celebration
Charles Evans Hughes went to bed on election night, 1916, thinking he had just won the presidency of the United States. During the night it became evident that California’s votes were going […]
An Odd Bit of Odds
In 2011 European bookies were putting the odds of Queen Elizabeth II abdicating and replacing Bruce Forsyth as the host of the popular BBC dance competition Strictly Come Dancing at 50,000 to […]
The Rough and Ready Life of Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), twelfth President of the United States, showed such little interest in politics that he never cast a vote in a presidential election until his own election in 1848. Known […]
One Little Letter Makes All the Difference
Japanese speakers frequently have difficulty differentiating between the English letters “L” and “R”. This was particularly evident in 1950 when supporters of General Douglas MacArthur (then serving as military governor of Japan […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 