We at Commonplace Fun Facts are big fans of the Ig Nobel Prize and its mission to “first make people laugh, then make them think.” The list of 2019 laureates touched on […]
Cube-Shaped Wombat Poop and Other Scientific Breakthroughs
Fire Destroys Fire Hydrant Patent
As far as we know, Frederick Graff, Sr., Chief Engineer of the Philadelphia Water Works, was the inventor of the fire hydrant. We think he received a patent for his ground-breaking invention […]
Edison’s Lesson of the Unwanted Invention
For any inventor, receiving his or her first patent is a momentous occasion. It is proof from the highest levels of government that someone recognizes the value of the distinct innovation born […]
A Patent Need for Proofreading
Proofreading your work is important at every stage of life, but never more than when you submit something that will be subject to public scrutiny. This lesson was learned the hard way […]
What Do Headaches, Heroin, World War I, and Aspirin Have in Common?
The closing years of the 19th century saw the introduction of two over-the-counter wonder drugs. These products, both manufactured by Bayer, boasted unprecedented results in treating pain and other ailments. They were […]
Much More Than Just Another Pretty Face
Hedy Lamarr (November 9, 1914 – January 19, 2000) was once billed as the World’s Most Beautiful Woman. The Austrian-born actress landed a contract with MGM in 1937 and achieved stardom with her […]
Meet the Baby Cage: the Mother of All Bad Ideas
What do you do when you live in a high-rise city apartment building and your infant wants to get some fresh air? Why, you set the little crumb cruncher precariously in a […]
Close Doesn’t Count in Patent Race
February 14, 1876 was a big day for Elisha Gray. That was the day he filed his application for a patent for his revolutionary new invention. His device promised to unite the […]
Letting the Dead Rest in Peace
Grave robbery was not something that just showed up in Frankenstein stories. In the last half of the 19th century, human corpses were in high demand by medical schools, and the body […]
Wiping Away Doubt About How to Hang Toilet Paper
It has been listed as one of the top causes of marital strife. It has divided families, torn friendships asunder, and generated more letters to advice columnist Ann Landers than any other […]
Take a Shot at a Better Mousetrap
James A. Williams of Fredonia, Texas applied for a patent for a better mousetrap. Not content with something as mild as poison or a spring trap, Williams devised a means by which […]
Mark Twain: Patently Multi-Talented
Mark Twain was much more than an accomplished author. He was also an inventor who was awarded patents for three different innovative devices. Ironically, because of his inventions, this well-known author’s most profitable […]
Now If They Could Just Prevent it From Happening
Patent #6,784,792, issued in 2004 to inventors Bernhardt Mattes and Gottfried Flik, is a sensor that will tell you whether your car has struck a pedestrian. Presumably the pedestrian doesn’t have to […]
Like Your TV? Thank Philo T. Farnsworth
One of the least-recognized yet most-influential inventors of the 20th century is unquestionably Philo T. Farnsworth. Born in Beaver, Utah on August 19, 1906, Farnsworth was a talented scientist from a young […]
Because When You’ve Got to Go, Every Second Counts
Katherine Marie LeBeau received Patent #3,517,423 on June 30, 1970 for a “Fluid-Operated Zipper.” These are for the moments when the need to go is so great that you can’t spare the […]
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