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Mental Floss
Who doesn’t love Air Jordans? They’re favorites of everyone from basketball players to the fashion conscious. When the shoes first hit the market, though, they had a high-profile naysayer: NBA Commissioner David Stern. Nike released the first design of i
Ethan Trex|
The labels for the Y axis run from G (Good Fortune) to I (Ill Fortune).
Chris Higgins|
Most of us, at one time or another, imagine what it would be like if there were another person just like us. Twins already know what this is like. They have the same family, the same childhood experiences, and in the case of identical twins, the same DNA,
Miss Cellania|
The largest ship ever built—she was nearly twice as long as the Titanic—actually sank, only to rise up from the ocean floor and sail again.
Ethan Trex|
From the number that defeated the Nazis to the one that put a smile on the faces of drunken sailors, here are 10 digits with real value. 1. Nine-tenths of a cent: The fraction that makes us pump more gas Every time we fill up our tanks, we wrestle with
Ethan Trex|
People go to zoos to see the animals from exotic locales we couldn’t get to on our own. But some of these animals can’t be seen anywhere except zoos. These are the animals that are extinct in the wild, dependent on the keepers and zoo breeding programs fo
Jill Harness|
Read on to find out how long it actually held the title of New York’s Tallest Building and nine other fascinating facts about the Art Deco masterpiece.
Stacy Conradt|
You know her name. You've seen her signature red ribbon. And even though you're curious, you've never had the courage to learn more because you're not a seven-year old girl. Don't worry; your secret is safe with us. To help you out, we've come up with
Rob Lammle|
As Napoleon Bonaparte expanded his new French Empire and conquered much of Western Europe, he doled out the spoils of war to his friends and family, whether they wanted it or not.
Matt Soniak|
Truth is stranger than fiction, and one place that becomes very clear is in Law & Order episodes that were ripped from the headlines. Sure, the episodes themselves are entertaining, but the original inspiration for the episode is often so bizarre that it
Jill Harness|
The duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr is perhaps the most famous duel in United States history.
Leah Welborn|
© JASON REED/Reuters/Corbis The Internet has been going nuts over the news that a dog was among the elite commandos who raided Osama bin Laden’s compound and killed him. In response, Slate put together a slideshow of photoillustrations depicting the "Cat
Matt Soniak|
The date was August 20, 1969. The Beatles were recording what was to be their final album, Abbey Road. The date is important (and historic), although the boys probably had no idea of its significance. August 20, 1969, was the last time the four Beatles w
Eddie Deezen|
John Hay, Lincoln’s private secretary and assistant, was as devastated as the rest of the nation when his friend was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865. He wanted a memento to remember Lincoln by and paid $100 for six strands of hair removed from t
Stacy Conradt|
The Periodic Table of the Elements is a wonderful aid in understanding chemistry, if you understand the reasons the elements are sorted the way they are. The table itself is a model of information classification. No wonder folks want to use this structure
Miss Cellania|
Most any musical history book will tell you that the first Beatles record was "Love Me Do." Sure, "Love Me Do," released October 5, 1962. It went to #17 on the British charts. Ringo Starr had the great indignity of having to play a lousy tambourine on a
Eddie Deezen|
Whether with The Beatles, Wings or solo, Paul McCartney has given us scores of classic songs that will live on through the ages.
Eddie Deezen|
There aren't many places where names are first come, first-served, but actors' unions are one of them. If you tried to register with one and found that someone was already actively using your name, you'd simply have to pick another one. It's likely not a
Stacy Conradt|
For those of you who take baths or are simply unconcerned with hygiene, let me explain the horror that is the “shower curtain effect.” You get in a nice hot shower first thing in the morning. You’re barely awake, but the womb-like confines offer the perfe
Matt Soniak|
In 1887, intrepid reporter Nellie Bly pretended she was crazy and got herself committed, all to help improve conditions in a New York City mental institution.
Bill DeMain|
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