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Joined: Nov 21, 2016

Stories written by the staff of Mental Floss.

We have Shakespeare to thank for a whole bunch of words.

Quiz: Can You Guess the Word Coined by Shakespeare?

Quiz: Can You Match the Victorian Slang Term to its Meaning?

20 Surprising (and Horrifying) Facts About Pregnancy

11 Facts That Could Save Your Life

Get Smarter Every Day With the New 2025 Mental Floss Amazing Facts Calendar

A year’s worth of facts can be found in this desktop-friendly calendar.

What happened in these deaths is far from clear.

25 of the Most Mysterious Deaths in History

Explorers who vanished off the face of the earth. Conquerors, composers, and scientists who expired from strange illnesses. People tantalizingly close to power who wound up dead. When it comes to these deaths, we might never know what really happened.

7 Misconceptions About Funerals

From funeral homes only using hearses to transport bodies to having to wear black to a memorial service, we’re laying some common myths about funerals to rest in the latest episode of ‘Misconceptions.’

There are 54 Common Clichés Hiding in This Busy Museum Scene—Can You Spot Them All?

Clichés may be annoying in everyday life. But within the scope of this clever illustration, you'll be excited to find them.

6 Misconceptions About Sex

Blue balls? Broken hymens? Popping your cherry? We’re covering all the topics you’ve always wondered about but were too embarrassed to ask.

For awhile, gorillas were the stuff of legend.

8 Animals People Didn’t Think Were Real

Humans have doubted the existence of everything from the okapi to the platypus.

These books altered history in ways big and small.

46 Books that Changed the World

Here, in no particular order, are just a few of history’s most influential tomes—and how they made humanity look at things in a new light.

8 Things You Might Not Know About Fabio

The '90s hunk had his own 900 number, line of romance novels, and a heavyset counterpart known as 'Flabio.'

Misconceptions About College

On this episode of Misconceptions, host Justin Dodd breaks down some higher-level myths. If your professor is 15 minutes late, are you really allowed to leave? How important is picking the right major in college?

These facts about St. Patrick's Day might surprise you.

13 Lucky Facts About St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day used to be a dry holiday in Ireland—and its signature color used to be blue. Read on for more surprising St. Patrick’s facts.

If you want a fact about the Best Picture winner from 2023, so do we. / Frazer Harrison via Getty.

Fascinating Facts About All 95 Best Picture Oscar Winners

In Hollywood, winning the Oscar for Best Picture is the highest honor a film can achieve—and we’re giving you one fun fact about all 95 of them.

15 Delightfully Quirky Town Slogans

These towns may not have the biggest populations, but their clever slogans are second to none.