Percy reached in his pocket and retrieved a melted candy bar, and it changed the world. It may seem strange that such a seemingly-trivial event would have such profound ramifications. After all, […]
What do monsters eat for breakfast? When Mary Shelley described Frankenstein’s monster, her words were remarkably descriptive. She did not, however, disclose what kind of breakfast cereal the freak of nature might […]
When terrorist organization al-Qaeda published its first English-language publication, Inspire Magazine, it was with the intention of equipping would-be terrorists with tools of destruction. Thanks to British intelligence agents, the only damage […]
If you spend any amount of internet searching for interesting facts about Star Wars and you will eventually come across this interesting tidbit: some of the asteroids in The Empire Strikes Back […]
Few things are as American as apple pie, unless, of course, you consider German chocolate cake. Despite its name, this delectable dessert originated in about as non-German of a location as you […]
It is difficult to overstate the contribution of tomatoes to our culinary culture. Imagine how poorer we would be without pizza, marinara sauce, salsa, or any of the countless dishes that rely […]
If you are filling your plate at a banquet and see a tray of wasps in the midst of a selection of fruit, it’s a safe bet that you would take a […]
If you like art, and if you are particularly fond of peanut butter, a visit to Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has all the makings for your perfect day. It is the […]
Mao Zedong (1893-1976) disliked pests. Rats, bed bugs, and flies (not to mention as many as 30 million people who got in his way) were, at various times, the focus of Chairman […]
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 […]
What invokes happy memories of summer better than the popsicle? The cool, refreshing delight of a juicy frozen treat on a hot day can seem like manna from heaven. The next time […]
Drop a piece of buttered toast on the kitchen floor, and we all know what is going to happen. It will land buttered-side down, of course. At least, that’s what we expect, […]
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 […]
Henry Ford was famous for promoting his game-changing Model T automobile, telling consumers they could have the car in any color, as long as it was black. There was another game-changing innovation […]
If you are hungry for hard-boiled eggs, but your diet limits you to just one, you might want to try an ostrich egg. Just be prepared for a bit of a wait. […]
