Henry was an ambitious officer. He had his sights set on greatness. He wanted his name to be remembered by future generations. He got his wish. This is the story of why […]
Henry’s Invention That Transformed Warfare
Did a Monkey Get Hanged For Being a French Spy?
Just when we thought we had thoroughly combed the historical record and reported all interesting tidbits on a subject, we are reminded that there is no limit to strange stories from the […]
What Happens When You Declare War and Forget About It?
Robert E. Lee famously said, “It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.” Whether terrible or otherwise, war should be so significant that it […]
France’s Brief Experiment With Decimal Time
Much to our dismay, we came across the information for this article a few days too late to wish you a Happy Manure Day. Not to despair — December 28 will roll […]
The Napoleonic Influence on American Law Enforcement
As Napoleon Bonaparte caused war to spread throughout Europe and his growing empire threatened to destroy long-established national borders, some in the United States feared that even the Atlantic Ocean would not […]
Did a Missing Constitutional Amendment Take Away the Citizenship of All Lawyers?
“The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers!” (Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2). When William Shakespeare wrote those infamous words about lawyers in 1591, he parodied the […]
Totally Awesome Facts About Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
As the release date for Bill & Ted Face the Music approaches, the nerdiness level at Commonplace Fun Facts Headquarters is rising exponentially. In anticipation of the sequel that has been almost […]
The Volcano That Triggered a Year Without Summer, Defeated an Empire, and Gave Birth to a Monster
In terms of volcano celebrity status, Mount Tambora’s name is rarely mentioned. If someone asks you to name a dramatic volcanic eruption, more than likely, it is Mount Vesuvius, Krakatoa, or Mount […]
How Long Did It Take to Invent the Can Opener?
War has been a blight on humanity for all of history, but it occasionally produces some good things. Such was the case when Napoleon’s problems with providing food to his troops led […]
Napoleon Was French — Just Barely
Napoleon Bonaparte has achieved immortality as one of France’s greatest citizens. Had he been born just a wee bit sooner, he wouldn’t have been French at all. Napoleon was born on in […]
When Rabbits Take On the World’s Most Powerful Men
When the vicious, decapitating Rabbit of Caerbannog appeared in the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, most people thought it was humorous. If Napoleon Bonaparte and Jimmy Carter had watched the film, it’s doubtful […]
Think Napoleon was Short? Think Again
Whenever the name Napoleon Bonaparte is mentioned, it inevitably brings up images of a short man, laboring under the psychological burden of his diminished physical stature. There’s only one problem with this […]
Military Genius and Mental Madness
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher rose to distinction in the Prussian military in his campaigns against Napoleon, earning the rank of Field Marshal. He was also barking mad. Blücher was paralyzed by fear […]
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