The United Nations recognizes 193 national flags of its member states. Each flag is unique, giving the full collection a great variety of symbols and colors. Despite all the diversity, almost all […]
When you think about gladiators, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of movies such as Spartacus, Ben-Hur, or Gladiator. Most of us have some awareness of the fact that gladiator games […]
When bystanders saw the man rise from his wheelchair moments after being blessed by the Pope, they were aghast. A miracle had taken place in their midst! Or maybe not….
It is hard enough coming up with just the right Christmas gift when you have a year to plan for it. What do you do when you need to choose an appropriate […]
Coffee seems to have had a love/hate relationship with royalty. For centuries, many people viewed the caffeinated beverage with suspicion. Around the year 1600, many in Roman Catholic circles viewed coffee as […]
What do coffee, crypts, bones, and friars have in common? No, they aren’t the ingredients for a misguided Halloween party theme. They are, instead, the basis for what may be one of […]
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 […]
History books tell us that England embraced the Protestant Reformation because its king wanted a divorce. What the books frequently fail to point out is that a dog — more precisely, a […]
Commonplace Fun Facts has documented a war fought over a pig, a war against emus, and another that was fought over spilled soup. None of this can quite compare to one of […]
Valentine’s Day is a holiday dedicated to love and is marked by the exchange of cards, flowers, candy, and romantic sentiment. If you go far enough back in time, you would see […]
During the political chaos of the early Middle Ages, there was one stable, unifying force that held things together in Europe: the Roman Catholic Church. While Europe scrambled to pick up the […]
No one enjoys receiving criticism. Even the greatest artists in history dislike critiques. Unlike the rest of us, great artists have a way of getting even that should give all of us […]
The Harlem Globetrotters have accomplished much in the nearly-100 years since their founding. In addition to playing more than 26,000 exhibition games in 123 countries and territories, the team has also acquired […]
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) was never accused of false modesty. He once said, “My mother said to me ‘If you are a soldier you will become a general. If you are a monk […]
Many things about the Vatican are difficult to understand. Some of it is due to intentional secrecy. Some require a deeper understanding of the history of the papacy or the traditions of […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 