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11/22/11 is the 791st anniversary of Frederick II being crowned Holy Roman Emperor, the 293rd anniversary of Blackbeard’s beheading, the 254th anniversary of the Austrian defeat of Prussia in the Seven Years’ War’s Battle of Breslau, the 48th anniversary
Jamie Spatola|
In 1939, the U.S. celebrated Democrat Thanksgiving and Republican Thanksgiving.
Matt Soniak|
Consider the following ingredient lists:McDonald's Fancy Ketchup: Tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, water, salt, natural flavors (vegetable source).Heinz: Tomato concentrate from red ripe t
Matt Soniak|
Raspberries are not blue. Why are so many raspberry-flavored items that color?
Matt Soniak|
Retiring a player’s jersey number is most often reserved for all-time greats. Other times, it’s a tribute to a player whose career is cut short by illness or death. And sometimes, as in the case of Lou Gehrig — the first professional player to have his nu
Scott Allen|
Abraham Zapruder’s amateur footage of the JFK assassination is one of the world’s most instantly recognizable clips, but Zapruder himself doesn’t get quite as much press.
Ethan Trex|
Since the days of antiquity, scholars and teachers, orators and critics, guide books and travel maps have identified Wonders of the World — locations that stand as a testament to human achievement in architecture and beauty or the represent the breathtaki
Mark Arminio|
Although the East German government fortified the barrier with everything from watchtowers to guard dogs to beds of nails, a few people managed to slip over the border in amazing ways.
Ethan Trex|
Would you inject 50 hookworms under your skin for your job? Or steam in a vomit sauna for a few hours? Let's look at some scientists who did.
Laura Turner Garrison|
Not only have the men and women of the United States Armed Forces served their country, they have also served as inspiration for the Great White Way. 1. Carmelina
Laura Turner Garrison|
Becoming a comedic icon doesn't happen overnight. It takes years and years of hard work. In some cases, this means paying your dues as the low-level member of a sitcom writing staff - a rite of passage for many successful comics, actors and directors. Her
Colin Patrick|
Lakers star Ron Artest made waves this summer when he announce he was changing his name to Metta World Peace.
Jason Plautz|
Erik Sass|
As you might guess, we’ve got a lot of books here at the mental_floss New York office. One stands above the rest in terms of usefulness and pure entertainment value: the second supplemented edition of Harold Wentworth and Stuart Berg Flexner’s Dictionary
Ethan Trex|
There are more stories of heroism out of World War II than can ever fit in a school textbook, but hundreds of those stories are written down somewhere for those who want to find them. Over 100 million military personnel participated in the war, including
Miss Cellania|
You may know all the words, but how much do you know about the song
Bill DeMain|
Because some of the statues are set deep into the ground, and because the heads on the statues are disproportionately large, many people tend to think of them as just big heads.
Chris Higgins|
Most of us are familiar with the story of Snow White: beautiful princess, jealous witch, hitman, dwarves, poisoned apple, hero prince. A cute little tale that got even cuter once Walt Disney got in hands on it in 1937, right? It may have been more than a
Stacy Conradt|
© Bettmann/CORBIS Payola became a household word in 1959, thanks to a high-profile trial that made examples of two legendary disc jockeys – Alan Freed and Dick Clark (above). In 1959, Alan Freed, the most popular disc jockey in the country, was fired fr
Bill DeMain|
Installment #1: Ironically November 4, 1911, was supposed to ensure lasting peace, but actually set the stage for the conflict to come. This day saw the signing of the Treaty of Berlin, which was intended to resolve a series of diplomatic conflicts betwee
Erik Sass|
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