Mental Floss

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Calendar monthly strip

You’ll need to look back to Ancient Roman history to learn how the modern-day months got their names—and what they were called before.

Eric Vanderwall














The game ‘Monopoly’

Once designed to teach, preach, or persuade, these familiar board games now mask the strange historical forces that informed their conception.

Colin Scanlon










Jonas Salk with bottles of the polio vaccine he developed.

From eradicating smallpox to battling the COVID-19 pandemic, these vaccine pioneers have helped make colossal strides in public health.

Rujuta Saksena