Have you ever wondered how certain sports started? The origins of baseball and basketball are not too difficult to understand. Other sports, such as the goat-dragging, horse-riding event of Buzkashi can leave […]
The Extreme Sport of Ferret-Legging
Wigging Out on British Legal Customs
If you enjoy watching television programs that deal with the law, you have a good idea of what a courtroom looks like. It’s relatively easy to spot the lawyers, due to their […]
Fugitive Charlie’s Fearful Flight
Charlie was a fugitive. He had been running for a long time. It felt as if everyone had turned against him. He was at one of the lowest points of his life. […]
Why This May Be the Most Important Tree in History
At first glance, it appears to be an ordinary tree. Appearances can be deceiving, however. There is much about this tree that is far from ordinary.
The Prime Minister Who Got Eaten By His People
You know what they say about pursuing a career in politics. It is a vocation fraught with hazards. The public is so fickle and can love you one day, only to chew […]
Why Call a Lawyer When You Can Summon a Prince to Help Through Clameur de Haro
What do you do if someone is occupying or infringing on your rights to your land? Yes, you could call the police, or you could bring a lawsuit against the offender. Or […]
Mixed Scottish Feeling About Global Warming
It’s the End of the World As We Know It…. And We’re Still Waiting
If you spend any amount of time looking at the headlines, you might wonder whether humanity’s clock is about to run out. If so, you would not be the first to come […]
Royal Right to Summer Snowballs
As has been previously noted in articles such as this one, the real estate agreements involving the British royal family can be a bit outdated or unusual. None, however, can surpass the […]
Seven Monarchs For 465 Days
Between November 9, 1683, and February 6, 1685, (465 days), the nation now known as the United Kingdom had seven current and future monarchs alive at the same time. Charles II Born: […]
Sharpen Up Your Knowledge of the Pencil
As summer ends and students return to school, it is appropriate to take a moment and reflect on one of the things that is as indispensable to studies as notebooks and backpacks: […]
What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?
Have you ever wondered how you are supposed to refer to that nation that is home to Queen Elizabeth II? Are you supposed to call it England? Great Britain? The United Kingdom? […]
The Geographic Knowledge of Britney Spears
An earlier Commonplace post noted that the music of Britney Spears is one of the most effective deterrents to Somali pirates. Lest that be construed as some kind of derogatory judgment on […]
Nothing Says, “I Love You” Like Your Husband’s Severed Head in a Bag
Sir Walter Raleigh’s life came to an end on October 29, 1618. On orders from James I, the executioner took Raleigh’s head from his shoulders (although needing two strikes of the axe […]
What Happens If They Have a War, But Everyone Forgets About It?
Hostilities broke out in 1651 between the Netherlands and the Isle of Scilly. While the details are a bit sketchy, it appears that Dutch Admiral Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp arrived at Scilly to […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 