Ethan Trex

Joined: Nov 21, 2012

Ethan was the Editorial Director/VP, Strategy at mental_floss. Likes: doughnuts, spirits (liquor), spirits (supernatural), donuts. Dislikes: injuries.

The Detroit Lions are always ready to suit up for a Thanksgiving game.

Why Do the Lions and Cowboys Always Play on Thanksgiving?

You can find all kinds of deals during Black Friday—but here's how the event actually started.

A Brief History of Black Friday

Why Does Humidity Make Us Feel Hotter?

Novak Djokovic, a Wimbledon winner in 2021.

7 Facts About the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament

The Kentucky Derby has been around since 1875.

9 Things You Should Know About the Kentucky Derby

Put on a fancy hat, grab a mint julep, and become the best-informed person at your Derby party.

42 Unusual Majors Your College Probably Didn't Offer

From beer to bowling, here are some of the more interesting subjects you can major in at dozens of colleges across America.

Gracie Allen laughed her way to a presidential run in 1940.

How Gracie Allen and the Surprise Party Got 1940s America Excited to Vote

Although the stunt was obviously a joke, “Vote for Gracie” buttons popped up around the U.S. Harvard students pledged their support for Allen’s campaign.

5 Fabulous Facts About Jackie Kennedy

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was one of our country's most stylish and elegant icons for decades, but she was no empty, aloof beauty.

5 Fascinating Facts About Josephine Baker

Josephine Baker was probably the closest thing the Jazz Age had to a mega-star. The Black actress/dancer was a worldwide celebrity and devoted civil rights activist who first rose to fame by dancing in a "skirt" of artificial bananas (and very little else

6 Amazing Facts About Sally Ride

Sally Ride—the first American woman in space—paved the way for female astronauts, and proved there is such thing as a stupid question.

An image of the State of the Union address in 2016

A Brief History of the State of the Union Address

Answers to a few questions that might come up when the State of the Union address storms every channel of your TV.

Mathew Brady, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

5 Facts About Edgar Allan Poe

You can quote 'The Raven.' But how well do you know Edgar Allan Poe's quirky sense of humor and code-cracking abilities?

Boston Public Library, Flickr, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Remembering Boston's Great Molasses Flood of 1919

On January 15, 1919, Boston suffered one of history’s strangest disasters when the “Great Molasses Flood” tore through the city's North End and deposited so much gooey residue that locals claimed they could still smell the molasses on warm days decades la

December 26 is more than just "the day after Christmas."

6 Surprising Facts About Boxing Day

Relax, Hallmark conspiracy theorists: Boxing Day isn’t some prank to confuse America. It’s a real holiday in the United Kingdom and other European countries that dates back to the days of Queen Victoria.

Who Was Heisman and Why Does He Have a Trophy?

Before anyone brings home the hardware, let’s answer a few questions about John Heisman and his trophy.

A Brief History of Zubaz

When we think of Zubaz today, “utilitarian” probably isn’t the first word that pops into our heads.