Mental Floss

GOVERNMENT

Virginia Woolf, Charlie Chaplin, and Ludwig van Beethoven could be considered nepo babies.

Plenty of nepo babies have earned their places in history. But it’s always good to acknowledge the doors open to people who have rich relatives—or whose dad knows the manager of a clogging troupe.

Ellen Gutoskey
Eleanor of Castile and Edward I.

If you’ve heard enough about King Henry VIII’s many wives or the turbulent relationship between Princess Diana and King Charles III, consider these 10 lesser known royal love stories. 

Samantha Arrowsmith


A photo of a woman resembling Patty Hearst, with a weapon in hand, from the robbery of a bank by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

On February 4, 1974, publishing heiress Patty Hearst was taken from her Berkeley, California, apartment—but Hearst is far from the only abduction case to have captured public attention.

Stacy Conradt






















Patrick Henry delivers his famous "give me liberty" speech.

He’s best remembered for saying “Give me liberty or give me death,” but did Henry actually utter those words?

Mark Mancini