The elite command and military intelligence officers of the United States gathered every day at a high-security location. The timing of their meetings left no doubt that it was not a coincidence. […]
Did the USSR Have Nukes Aimed at a Hot Dog Stand?
That Time a Missile Successfully Struck a U.S. Military Base — and Why It Didn’t Start WWIII
It was during some of the scariest days of the Cold War that the submarine surfaced off the coast of the United States. On the submarine was the most powerful cruise missile […]
How Did Lightning Nearly Trigger World War III?
Alarms sounded in military installations all around the world, reporting the unthinkable. A nuclear detonation had just been detected in Bell Island, Newfoundland. Satellites designed to notify military and government leaders of […]
Stand Up and Salute Some Supremely Strange Flags
Thanks to The Big Bang Theory’s “Fun With Flags” feature, we have seen a noticeable increase in our articles about flags. In recognition of this interest in vexillology, we present you with […]
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 […]
How a John Wayne Movie Killed Nearly Half of its Cast and Crew
In terms of its artistic legacy, The Conqueror leaves much to be desired. Routinely making the listing of “The Worst Movies Ever Made,” the 1956 movie starring John Wayne was an unfortunate […]
Some of the Articles We Never Got Around To
“How do you come up with ideas for articles on Commonplace Fun Facts?” Not a week goes by without that question being posed to members of the Commonplace creative team. The tone […]
Using a Nuke to Put Out a Fire
Since the dawn of the nuclear age, much of the diplomatic and military strategies of nations have centered around preventing the world from going up in flames in a nuclear holocaust. Some […]
Was the USA Nuclear Launch Code Really ‘00000000’?
In the 1983 movie WarGames, the fictional W.O.P.R. succeeds in hacking NORAD’s launch code, revealed to be “CPE1704TKS.” National security experts at the time reassured the public that the movie was a […]
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 Man Who Suggested Moving the Whole Solar System
When it comes to recognizing those who dare to dream grand and lofty goals, don’t forget to include the man who proposed moving our entire solar system.
Did a Manhole Cover Become the First Manmade Object in Space?
The eyes of the world were turned spaceward in October 1957 because the Soviet Union had just launched Sputnik, the first manmade object sent into space. Or was it? Just a few […]
How the BBC Show “Today” Ensures There Will Be a Tomorrow
If you are a fan of the BBC, the thought of your favorite program going off the air might seem like a sign of the end of the world. If that favorite […]
The True Story of Chicken-Powered Nuclear Landmines
The history of the Cold War is replete with technological marvels that were the fruit of the arms race. There are also some stunning examples of inventions that really make you stop […]
Who needs the Moon anyway- when the US wanted to nuke the Moon.
Originally posted on History of Sorts:
Project A119 was the designated name by the US Air Force to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon. The project was called “A Study of…
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