Mental Floss
Titanic section header

Titanic

The Latest

As anyone who’s seen the movie ‘Titanic’ already knows, the ship didn’t sink immediately. So how long was the process?

Hearing the phrase ‘souls on board’ usually portends bad news. Why do we use it?
Jake Rossen|
The complicated legal case involving salvage rights to the RMS ‘Titanic’ continues, 40 years after the famous shipwreck was rediscovered.
Jake Rossen|
A blend of bureaucracy and saltwater is conspiring to keep any of the ship’s remaining secrets from being brought to the surface.
Jake Rossen|
‘Return to the Titanic: Live!’ cracked open a safe from the ship on live TV—and though the special was a ratings success, it faced plenty of criticism. ‘The Washington Post’ even declared that it “added little to the ‘Titanic’ story.”
Vince Guerrieri|
Whether real wrecks or ghostly sightings, these ships bear stories of unexplained deaths, flying orbs, and screams from the depths of the sea.
Hollie Stephens|
Richard Norris Williams dreamed of being a tennis great. The ‘Titanic’ nearly cost him his legs.
Jake Rossen|
People have spread incorrect information long before the invention of the internet.
Greg Daugherty|
Songs about ‘Titanic’ go way beyond Celine Dion’s smash hit “My Heart Will Go On.”
Lina Morgan|
The 8-foot hunk of balsa wood led to one of the great debates in film: Could Jack have fit on it, too?
Jake Rossen|
There are few tales of the ‘Titanic’ left unexplored. Joseph Laroche’s story is one of them.
Jake Rossen|
Everything from a cursed mummy to a steering mistake have been floated as the real causes of the ‘Titanic’ disaster—and some conspiracy theories claim the ship never sank at all.
Lorna Wallace|
Box office success does not always equal critical acclaim. But many of the biggest hits of the 1990s are still being talked about, and revisited, today.
Mike Rampton|
There’s a reason nobody’s referring to the missing ‘Titanic’ submersible as a submarine.
Ellen Gutoskey|
The 'Titanic' sinking became the most infamous shipwreck in history—but what really happened on that unusually calm night in the North Atlantic?
Kat Long|
In honor of the 25th anniversary of James Cameron’s ‘Titanic,’ WHOI has released never-before-seen footage of the real-life shipwreck.
Michele Debczak|
You can grab tickets for you and your friend who’s somehow never seen James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ movie.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Mental Floss's writers and editors share their favorite stories from 2022.
From 'The Candy House' by Jennifer Egan to 'Tracy Flick Can’t Win' by Tom Perrotta, discover the best books of 2022 according to Mental Floss.
April Snellings|
The new footage shows details of the 'Titanic' wreck that have never been captured on film before.
Michele Debczak|
These mysterious undersea sites might contain millions (or billions) in lost treasure.
Daniel Stone|

More From the History Section

No word on how Santa feels about the Jolly Green Giant’s appropriation of his trademark phrase.
Ellen Gutoskey|
These might actually be worth a comeback, even if they sound terrible. Here are five gross-sounding foods that deserve a second chance. People ate them at one point in history!
Ryan Menezes|
While most holiday events are largely forgettable, these ended in injury and/or death.
Ryan Menezes|
Looking back at where the word “Christmas” came from and how it became popularized.
Paul Anthony Jones|
People get a lot wrong about this secretive government agency.
Jake Rossen|
Equal parts strange and terrifying: these are some of the many monsters that have haunted Greek mythology since antiquity. 
Colin Scanlon|
The word ‘yule’ gets thrown around a lot during the Christmas season, but what does it even mean? Well, like so many of the holiday’s traditions, its origins are a bit complex.
Austin Thompson|
These five figures, including Fidel Castro and Saddam Hussein, were known for specific food rules and tastes—many of which are hard to believe.
Adam T|
Titanic section header

Read More About History

HistoryCivil RightsCivil WarCold WarGovernment and PoliticsKing TutLawMilitaryMisconceptionsMysteryPhilosophyPresidentsRoyaltyTitanicVietnam WarWarWorld War IWorld War II