Barings Bank was a survivor. Founded in 1762 during the reign of George III, it endured through seven more kings and queens, two world wars, the Great Depression, and countless geopolitical upheavals. […]
In 1314, King Robert the Bruce led Scotland to a heroic victory over the English at the Battle of Bannockburn. The unlikely trouncing of one of the world’s mightiest armies boldly proclaimed […]
A widely-held common belief tells us that only those with special education, training, and expertise are qualified to give investment advice. The world of Wall Street is far too complex for anyone […]
It was 7:45 a.m. on June 30, 2009. Stephen Perkins had a hangover. All he wanted to do was go back to sleep. Actually, he wished desperately that he was sleeping — […]
Standing at 1,080 feet (330 meters), the Ryugyong Hotel towers over the Pyongyang skyline. The spectacular marvel of architecture has earned many distinctions. It was conceived to be the world’s tallest hotel, […]
Fred was desperate. His business was on its last legs. Given its inadvisable start, that shouldn’t have surprised anyone. What was surprising was that he didn’t just give up. The experts had […]
UPDATED June 3, 2021 to include the recent sale of an Italian invisible sculpture. Perhaps it is only the unsophisticated among us who look at some examples of modern art and ask, […]
Horace Rackham needed a loan, but the banker wasn’t convinced. The year was 1903, and even though Rackham was a successful attorney with a keen mind, the bank president wondered what Rackham […]
Real estate has always been a potentially-lucrative investment tool. Thanks to an unlikely realtor, more than 21 million children were given the opportunity to become landowners in the Yukon Territory and begin […]
Long before the Dot-Com Bubble of the closing years of the 20th century, the world experienced another period of wild economic speculation. It took place in Europe in the 17th century. The […]
By all accounts, Thelma Pearl Howard was a woman of modest means. She died on June 10, 1994, just 16 days short of her 80th birthday. Her closest friends and family thought […]
At some point in every history class, the subject invariably comes up that Manhattan Island was purchased from naive Native Americans by savvy Europeans for mere pocket change. When you hear about […]
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) has been credited with calling compound interest the eighth wonder of the world. Whether he actually said that is a matter of debate, but the fact that he believed […]
Ida May Fuller (1874-1975) was the first recipient of United States Social Security benefits. Her first check arrived on January 31, 1940 and totaled $22.54. That was a pretty good deal for […]
If you are looking for a good return on your investment, consider selling popcorn at a movie theater. A $30 purchase of unpopped popcorn can translate into $3,000 worth of sales at […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 