history

Videos

The Infamous Rigged Episode of "Twenty-One"

WWI Centennial

Next Time France Won’t Back Down, Poincaré Vows

List

8 Official State Dinosaurs

These eight states have distinctly designated official state dinosaurs, honoring the living, breathing, occasionally flesh-ravaging creatures that once roamed their land.... READ ON

Retrobituaries

Frank Wisner, Father of American Covert Operations

The first CIA men had to be really smart or a slightly crazy. Frank Wisner, the father of American covert operations, was both.... READ ON

Music History

"Ruby's Shoes"

When singer-songwriter Lori McKenna’s son was in second grade, he did a book report on Ruby Bridges, the African-American elementary school student who famously crossed the desegregation lines in 1960. To help her son, McKenna came up with a song about Ruby.... READ ON

History

Sailor Chic: How Peacoats Came to Be

These days, you don’t have to be in the Navy to look like you belong on the open sea. Anyone who lives in, has visited, or even seen pictures of other people who live in a colder climate can attest to the ubiquity of the double-breasted, structured-shoulder staple of winter wear that is the classic Naval-style peacoat. ... READ ON

History

Project Peacock: How the British Wanted to Heat WWII Mines

Dan Lewis runs the popular daily newsletter Now I Know ("Learn Something New Every Day, By Email"). We've invited him to share some of his stories on mental_floss this week. To subscribe to his daily email, click... READ ON

Videos

Every "One More Thing" from Steve Jobs

WWI Centennial

Origins of the Second Balkan War

Before the First Balkan War between the Balkan League and the Ottoman Empire was even over, another conflict was brewing—this time between the members of the Balkan League. ... READ ON

List

10 U.S. Cabinet Departments that were Renamed or No Longer Exist

After George Washington took office, he assembled a Presidential Cabinet that had just four positions—Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. Since then, the Cabinet has evolved greatly: Some Departments have simply been renamed, some have been proposed by Congress and never passed, and some have vanished altogether.... READ ON