![“[They] forced the conqueror of conquerors ... to retreat and leave them in possession of the field.” “[They] forced the conqueror of conquerors ... to retreat and leave them in possession of the field.”](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3840,h_2160,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01gw2p6kcxb86b808t2d.jpg)

Lucas Reilly
Joined: Nov 21, 2012
Lucas proudly worked on mental_floss magazine for four years, where he served as a senior editor. For two years, he worked as a longform feature writer for the web. He's embedded with professional eclipse chasers in Nebraska, interviewed feudal lords in Britain, hunted for buried treasure in Virginia, and once profiled a man who had tried to turn into a goat. Chances are, you can find him at the library.
![“[They] forced the conqueror of conquerors ... to retreat and leave them in possession of the field.” “[They] forced the conqueror of conquerors ... to retreat and leave them in possession of the field.”](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3840,h_2160,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/mentalfloss/01gw2p6kcxb86b808t2d.jpg)

19 Brilliant Facts About Albert Einstein

12 Things To Do When Your Flight's Canceled or Delayed

The Murderer Who Helped Make the Oxford English Dictionary
Eadweard Muybridge: The Eccentric English Bookseller Who Created the First 'Motion Picture' Was Also a Murderer
In 1860, a tragic head injury helped turn a quiet bookseller into one of the world's most consequential photographers.
The Origins of 12 Horse-Related Idioms
Horses own the winner’s circle in English idioms. But where did these popular phrases originate?
"Potato Pride": Inside the Secret World of North Korean Music
Music may be North Korea’s most powerful, and pervasive, political gimmick.
6 Dreaded Tasks That Are Actually Great For Managing Stress
Turns out, doing the dishes isn’t such a chore after all. According to a 2014 study, a “mindful” approach to dishwashing could actually reduce stress.
7 of History's Greatest Pranks
One common early prank was to send potential “fools” on impossible tasks—literally, on a fool’s errand. Here are a few more great pranks from history.
25 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Recycle
Americans generate 262 million tons of waste each year. Here are a few things you can actually recycle.
The Quest to Find—and Save—the World's Most Famous Shipwreck
In 1628, the 'Vasa' sank on its maiden voyage. For the next 300 years, it sat in a watery grave—until one man sparked a monumental effort to salvage it.
Robert Frank: The Photographer Who Captured America’s Dark Side
By documenting the little things, photographer Robert Frank changed an entire nation’s image of itself.
Where Does Language Come From?
The 5 Weirdest Traffic Laws On, and Off, the Books
The rules of the road are a little weirder in some places than in others.
The Summer Homes of 5 Legendary Authors
What do great authors do at their summer homes? Compose our favorite beach reads.