What Is a “Fact”?
TL;DR
A fact is one clear sentence about something that happened. Make it specific with dates and details. Stay neutral — no “legendary” or “iconic.” If you’re writing about someone’s birth or death, add a clause about what they did (their role, field, or contribution) to give context.
For this project, a fact is: A single, verifiable piece of information about a person, place, or event — expressed in one clear sentence.
A good fact is:
- True
- Specific
- Complete
- Neutral
- Concise
- Standalone
Example
About 250,000 people gathered on the National Mall for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, making it one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in U.S. history.
How to Write a Great Fact
1. Start with One Core Idea
Each fact should focus on just one thing. Think about:
- A historical event
- A milestone
- A significant achievement
- A foundational date
- A numerical statistic
If you’re tempted to use “and” to connect two big ideas, you probably need two facts instead of one.
2. Pack in the Details
The more specific you can be, the better. Include things like:
- Dates (full dates when possible, not just years)
- Locations (cities, states, countries, specific venues)
- Numbers (ages, amounts, quantities)
- Roles and titles (exactly what someone did or was called)
- Names of organizations, publications, or works
The rule of thumb: more specificity makes a stronger fact.
Example
On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, declaring freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved people in the state.
3. One Sentence Only
If your fact is turning into multiple sentences, or if it feels like it’s covering too much ground, split it up. Each fact should fit in a single, well-crafted sentence.
Example
The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters—recognized as the first major African American–led labor union—won its first collective bargaining agreement with the Pullman Company in 1937, securing raises and a shorter workday for thousands of porters and maids.
4. Stay Neutral
This is important: facts shouldn’t include your opinion or anyone else’s. Skip the praise words and stick to what actually happened.
Skip these:
“legendary,” “iconic,” “brilliant,” “beloved”
Use these instead:
“co-founded,” “published,” “won,” “served as,” “became”
Rewrite opinions into facts
“Legendary leader Harriet Tubman heroically rescued countless enslaved people.”
Rewrite:
Harriet Tubman led at least 13 rescue missions through the Underground Railroad between 1850 and 1860, guiding about 70 enslaved people to free states and Canada.
Tighten vague praise
“The influential SNCC changed the course of history.”
Rewrite:
The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was founded at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, on April 16, 1960, to coordinate sit-ins across the South.
Example: Let the numbers speak
Black voter registration in Mississippi rose from about 6.7% in 1964 to nearly 60% by 1967 after the Voting Rights Act.
No opinion words needed—the dramatic change in the numbers tells the story.
5. Make It Standalone
Someone reading your fact shouldn’t need any background knowledge to understand it. All the context they need should be right there in the sentence.
Note About Life Milestones
When you’re writing about someone’s birth, death, or another major life event, you’ll want to tell readers why this person matters.
The trick is to do this without opinion. You can add context about what they did — their role, field, or contributions — but keep it factual.
When you add this context, make sure it’s:
- Strictly factual (no opinions or praise)
- About their roles, fields, or contributions
- Something you could verify in scholarship or public records
- Not emotional or evaluative
The Basic Structure
[Core event] + [Date/Location] + [What they did/their role]
Here are some patterns you can follow:
- “passed away … at age X; they were recognized as [role/contribution]”
- “was born …; they would become known for [field/work]”
- “retired …; they had served as [role] for [timeframe]”
- “was appointed …; they brought expertise in [field/area]”
What Kind of Context Works?
You can include things like:
- Their professional roles (“served as director of…”)
- The fields they worked in (“contributed to neuroscience”)
- Specific areas of work (“focused on civil rights law”)
- The themes of their creative work (“wrote about identity and belonging”)
- Movements or groups they were part of (“co-founded the Harlem Renaissance”)
- Recognized categories (“novelist,” “activist,” “pioneering neuroscientist”)
What Doesn’t Work?
Avoid these in your context clause:
- Subjective praise (“beloved,” “legendary,” “groundbreaking”)
- Claims that aren’t widely established (“the most important writer of the era”)
- Vague statements (“changed the world,” “made history”)
- Emotional language (“tragically,” “unfortunately,” “sadly”)
Lets Walk Through Another Example With James Baldwin
The core event:
“James Baldwin passed away in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, on December 1, 1987, at age 63”
Adding context about who he was:
“he was widely recognized as a novelist, essayist, and civil rights commentator whose work shaped national conversations on race in the 20th century.”
The complete fact:
James Baldwin passed away in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, on December 1, 1987, at age 63; he was widely recognized as a novelist, essayist, and civil rights commentator whose work shaped national conversations on race in the 20th century.
Why this works:
- Adds context about who Baldwin was and what he did
- Stays completely factual (no opinions)
- Uses neutral language (no “legendary” or “iconic”)
- Makes the fact understandable on its own
- Honors his importance through facts, not praise
Your Fact Checklist
Before you submit, run through this list: