Skip to main content
Mental Floss
In June of 1956, a 15-year-old named John Lennon started the band that was to eventually develop into "The Beatles." In August of 1962, Richard "Ringo Starr" Starkey officially joined the soon-to-be-famous rock group, joining John Lennon, Paul McCartney,
Eddie Deezen|
While the author of the Book of Proverbs remains uncertain (most likely, King Solomon wrote it), its intent is not. The book was written to share insight, and much conventional wisdom originates in its pages. Proverbs 17:22, "a merrie heart doth good like
Meghan Holohan|
1. Bobby Fischer and Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand, the future Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner, actually attended the same Brooklyn high school as Bobby Fischer, who at the time was already competing in and winning international chess tournaments
Jason Plautz|
This week we're running a series of posts by Matt Soniak about Abraham Lincoln's foray into forensic meteorology. If you missed the first, second, or third installments of the series, check them out. Lincoln had secured an acquittal for Duff Armstrong l
Matt Soniak|
This week we're running a series of posts by Matt Soniak about Abraham Lincoln's foray into forensic meteorology. If you missed the first installment yesterday, check it out. In the summer of 1831, 22-year-old Abraham Lincoln arrived in New Salem, a smal
Matt Soniak|
There’s actually a whole group of people who enjoy the theory that Sherlock Holmes – or at least sidekick John Watson -- was real. The truth? Well that's elementary, my dear Watson.
Jason Plautz|
This week we're running a special series by Matt Soniak about Abraham Lincoln's foray into forensic meteorology. Check back each day for a new installment! August 29, 1857. Mason County, Illinois. The night James Metzger got hit in the head, Walker’s Gr
Matt Soniak|
Before the terrorist attacks of 2001, some pretty noteworthy events also occurred on September 11th.
Matthew Hickman|
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, people all over the world stood shoulder-to-shoulder in mourning, solidarity, sympathy, and friendship with the people of the United States. Here are a few of those international reactions, both organized and spontane
Haley Sweetland Edwards|
© Hannibal Hanschke/dpa/Corbis Last month the world watched rebel forces pour into Tripoli under the banner of Operation Mermaid Dawn. While watching the news, I was struck by a curiosity many of you might have shared: just where exactly do these names c
Matthew Hickman|
Mark Twain: writer, philosopher, riverboat pilot... board game designer? Indeed. During the summer of 1883—which also happens to be when he was working on Huckleberry Finn—Twain was trying to create an easy way for his daughters to remember the English m
Stacy Conradt|
Historical employment records are full of fantastic job titles that don't often show up in today's classifieds. Here are 15 professions with very interesting
Greg Sabin|
It’s hard to make that first trip to the college bookstore for required texts without leaving with a bit of sticker shock. Why are textbooks so astonishingly expensive? Let’s take a look.
Ethan Trex|
Many popular TV shows would have been totally different had the executives stuck with the actors from the pilot
Stacy Conradt|
Matt Soniak|
Governors across the U.S. are declaring states of emergency during the coronavirus pandemic. But what does the dire-sounding phrase really mean?
Ethan Trex|
This is a special sneak peek at the September-October issue of mental_floss magazine. Click here to get a risk-free issue! by Allen St. John How a Yale research team made history by teaching capuchins to spend money ... and discovered that they're just
the mag|
Is it possible for a human being to catch a speeding bullet in his mouth? For centuries, magicians have been convincing audiences that it is. Whether the bullet catch is an illusion or the result of lightning-fast reflexes, it definitely comes with a fata
Bill DeMain|
Around the world, moths make kamikaze dives into light bulbs and open flames with such regularity that they have their own idiom. What is it about lights that make moths so crazy?
Matt Soniak|
You know Orson Welles was one of the most revered actors and directors of the 20th century, but how much do you know about his sketchy big break or his deft efforts to make rabbits disappear? Let’s take a look at five surprising things about Welles. 1.
Ethan Trex|
PreviousNext