In 1995, Pepsi launched the Pepsi Points promotion. The public was encouraged to drink as much Pepsi as possible with the promise of earning points with every purchase. These points could then […]
Drink Pepsi and Win a Jet — Or Maybe Not
The Cigarette That Mixed Asbestos With Tobacco for “Health Protection”
There have been some real head-scratching products hoisted upon an unsuspecting public. Many of these have been documented here at Commonplace Fun Facts, such as radioactive toothpaste, the cure-all medicine that caused […]
How Did a 25-inch Parcel of Land Become New York’s Smallest Piece of Real Estate?
New York City is a place where everything is big. It is the Big Apple. It has enormous skyscrapers. It is the largest city in the United States. Its rental prices are […]
Warnings for Those Who Fail to Read the Fine Print
Are you one of those people who reads every word of the documents you sign? The vast majority of the population cannot be bothered to peruse the HIPAA disclosures at the doctor’s […]
The Case That Kept Finding Presidents
Of the thousands of cases appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, only a few are accepted by the Court each year. Of those, most fade into obscurity and are interesting only to […]
A Night of Dueling Brothers In Casablanca
As the opening night for the Marx Brothers’ 1946 film A Night in Casablanca neared, the excitement and interest continued to build. One person, in particular, who took an interest was Jack […]
Silence is Golden — And Subject to Copyright
When British composer Mike Batt included a song aptly titled “A One Minute Silence” in The Planets’ album “Classical Graffiti,” he thought he had hit upon a clever way to separate two […]
What Happens When Brake vs. Speed?
In 1992 the Mississippi Supreme Court took up a case that stemmed from injuries resulting from a car accident. The accident occurred when a vehicle that was going too fast for conditions […]
The High Court Grapples With “What Is Golf?”
“Either out of humility or out of self-respect (one or the other) the Court should decline to answer this incredibly difficult and incredibly silly question.”
Is the Tomato a Fruit or a Veggie? Just Ask the Supreme Court
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? Teachers of elementary school science enjoy confounding their students with the pronouncement that it is, scientifically speaking, a fruit. While this may be the […]
The Lawsuit for All the Money in the World… And More
When Anton Purisima was bitten by a dog, he believed someone should have to pay — and pay a lot. The “someone” was a whole bunch of individuals and corporations named in […]
Judge Rules on Lawsuit 26 Years Late, After Finding File in His Attic
As far as landmark judicial decisions go, the mineral rights case of Ayers v Rubow is hardly a candidate to change the face of established jurisprudence. When Toole County, Montana Judge Ronald McPhillips […]
The Second Round of the Hamilton/Burr Duel
One of the most famous rivalries in history was between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. It culminated in a duel between the two men, resulting in Hamilton’s death (the rather gory details of […]
Taking Spiritual Warfare Into the Courtroom
“The devil made me do it” has been an excuse used by countless people through the ages. Evidently Gerald Mayo felt he needed to do more than just blame the devil; he wanted […]
The Terror of London Cabbies — the Strange Case of Mrs. Giacometti Prodgers
Readers of the May 23, 1890 edition of the Chicago Tribune may have expressed amused curiosity at the following item in the Personals section: “Mrs. Giacometti Prodgers, the terror of London cabmen, is dead.” […]
