Mental Floss

CELEBRITIES

Carl Lender - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

On August 1, 1942, Jerry Garcia was born in San Francisco, California—and would soon go on to change the history of music as we know it.

Jennifer M Wood






Alexander Koerner/Getty Images

Since rising to fame playing Stringer Bell in 'The Wire,' Idris Elba has cemented a solid place for himself as one of Hollywood's most in-demand—and bankable—actors.

Natalie Zamora


David Cairns/Express/Getty Images

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was one of our country's most stylish and elegant icons for decades, but she was no empty, aloof beauty.

Ethan Trex








Hunter S. Thompson in Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

Like any real-life legend, there are many myths surrounding the life and work of Hunter S. Thompson. But in Thompson’s case, most of those stories—particularly the more outlandish ones—are absolutely true.

Jennifer M Wood








Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones sit opposite each other on a train at London's Euston Station.

Who are America’s all-time favorite musicians and bands? When it comes to the best-selling artists of all time, The Beatles still rule—yes, even a half-century after their breakup.

Tara Rahimi
NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

No matter where private or government space travel may take us in the future, Neil Armstrong will forever have a place as the first human to ever set foot on solid ground outside of our atmosphere.

Jake Rossen