Welcome
So, what's an anecdote anyway?

Webster says that an anecdote is "a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident." Clifton Fadiman tells us that a "first-rate anecdote should be more than merely a good saying" or the description of an eccentric moment in an individual's life. D'Israeli called anecdotes "minute notices of human nature and of human learning." A "good" anecdote is often a mini-drama that helps us to reflect on our own lives as we peek into the lives of those more famous. However you define them, I hope that when you read the anecdotes you find here you'll be both amused and enlightened.

Sources
Where did these anecdotes come from?

Most of the anecdotes on these pages come from historical records, newspapers, biographies, and autobiographies. Some are word-of-mouth accounts from friends or acquaintances of the person about whom the anecdote is told. Find out more.

Note:

Click the More Info icon at the end of each anecdote to read a short biography of the individual or to find out more facts about something mentioned in the story.

We welcome your comments and suggestions.