When it comes to brand identification, few companies have been more successful than The Hoover Company and its sales of vacuum cleaners. In the United Kingdom, Hoover so dominated the vacuum cleaner […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
It is a good sign when a man is proud of his work. That was certainly the case with Fredric J. Baur, the inventor of the Pringles can. In fact, he was […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
