

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 Origins of 7 Common Units of Measurement

Why Do the Lions and Cowboys Always Play on Thanksgiving?

A Brief History of Black Friday
Why Does Humidity Make Us Feel Hotter?
Is it really not the heat, but the humidity? With temperatures spiking around the world, it's a good time to answer some questions about the heat index.
7 Facts About the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament
There have already been a few surprises and upsets at this year's Wimbledon tennis tournament—officially known as The Championships, Wimbledon.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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
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.