Mental Floss

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St. Peter’s at night.

Whether you're Catholic or not, it's hard to argue with the claim that St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is an amazing feat of architecture and art.

Stacy Conradt






They had a date with fate—and Hollywood history.

You probably know that no one says “Play it again, Sam.” But there are probably a lot of other facts about this Hollywood classic that you might not know about.

Rebecca Pahle


The road through the Guyanese jungle leading to the Jonestown compound.

Congressman Leo Ryan went to Guyana in 1978 to investigate reports of American cult leader Jim Jones holding hundreds of his followers captive. Ryan didn't make it out of Jonestown alive.

Chris Higgins




One of many protests against the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

The deeply unpopular war led to the biggest and most consequential protest movement in U.S. history. Here are the key events and reactions.

Tim Brinkhof










Just a proud pup and his stash of bones.

Dogs can tear up a lawn with an overwhelming desire to dig and bury things. Where does that impulse come from, and what do they think they’re accomplishing?

Jake Rossen


A still from ‘Apocalypse Now.’

Some of our finest filmmakers have dramatized the war in a number of ways, from epic battles to deeply human portraits of violence and even the occasional comedy.

Matthew Jackson