What can you do with 45 minutes? You might watch an hour-long television program by skipping the commercials. You could walk three miles at an average pace. Your time could be spent […]
Shortest War Raged For 44 Minutes
How a U.S. President Enabled a Soviet General’s Coke Addiction
Georgy Zhukov was a hero of the Soviet Union, but he had an embarrassing secret. He was an addict. What made it worse was that his addiction, if known, would be especially […]
We Don’t Have the Word, But We All Know Someone To Whom it Applies
Backpfeifengesicht is a German word referring to a face badly in need of a fist.
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 […]
Why Was 2011 the Shortest Year for Samoa?
The year 2011 will be remembered by most of the world for its political and geological upheaval. Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi were killed, the Arab Spring saw protests in Libya, […]
The Charming Christmas Tradition of the Belly-Slitting Witch
The Ideas Department of Commonplace Fun Facts suggested a series of stories during the month of December about Christmas traditions around the world. “Great,” replied the Research Department. “We’ll find some charming, […]
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 […]
The True Tale of the Meowing Nuns With Biting Issues
The Sisters of Plenitude are familiar to fans of BBC’s Doctor Who. The nuns lived on New Earth in New New York (technically, “New New New New New New New New New […]
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 […]
The American Origin of the German Chocolate Cake
Few things are as American as apple pie, unless, of course, you consider German chocolate cake. Despite its name, this delectable dessert originated in about as non-German of a location as you […]
Can You Crack the Code that Stumps the CIA?
It should not be surprising that CIA Headquarters is home to some of the world’s biggest secrets. What may raise your eyebrows is the fact that one of its biggest secrets is […]
D-Day Shrapnel Makes Up 4% of the Sand on Omaha Beach
June 6, 1944, saw the greatest amphibious landing in the history of warfare. Over 150,000 Allied troops braved unrelenting enemy fire in order so they could regain a foothold on the continent […]
Breaking Out of Jail is Completely Legal in These Countries
Just about every society has imprisonment as a potential punishment for lawbreakers. In at least six countries, you might get sent to jail for breaking the law, but you won’t get in […]
I Gave East Germany An Island, and All I Got Was This Lousy Teddy Bear!
In the coldest days of the Cold War, two countries were special poster children in the category of “Communist Hold-out in the Midst of Western Democracies.” Those countries were Cuba and East […]
Berlin’s Modern Airport That Has Never Seen an Airplane
Airports are for airplanes. Airports are for aviation passengers. Airports are complex logistical partnerships of commerce, transportation, and technology that pump life into the economy. With its reputation for top-notch efficiency, Germany […]
