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Despite what you might have heard (or seen on the big screen), famed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart probably wasn’t poisoned by Antonio Salieri—but he did spend time with a young Marie Antoinette and keep a starling as a pet.

Ailsa Ross














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

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.

mentalfloss .com


A great white shark.

As the thinking goes, sharks don’t get cancer, so the pills will keep you from getting it, too. But there’s a problem with that theory.

Matt Soniak
Raccoons are smart, dextrous, and in your garbage cans.

Whether they’re scaling skyscrapers or digging through your trash, raccoons are fascinating. Discover more about their habits, diet, and intelligence.

Michele Debczak


Sometimes you just need the eggs.

Where did the idea for a rabbit that gives away eggs really come from? Trace the origins of the Easter bunny, from pagan festivals to the influence of 18th century German immigrants in America.

Matt Soniak


Nobody puts Nomi in a corner.

“Showgirls” was one of the biggest box-office bombs of the 1990s, but this 1995 erotic drama about an exotic dancer turned Vegas showgirl has since become the stuff of midnight movie gold.

Garin Pirnia




An animal you seriously don't want to mess with.

In addition to being Earth’s largest living lizard, behavior like human-eating and grave-robbing are the Komodo dragon’s biggest claims to fame.

Mark Mancini