HISTORY

11 Celebrated Artists Who Didn't Quit Their Day Jobs

They took pride in their 9 to 5 work, and most of them kept at it even as they wrote and painted and otherwise created the masterpieces we know today.

11 Things You Might Not Know About Charles Lindbergh

The pioneering aviator refused to celebrate Mother's Day.

8 Things You Might Not Know About the Louvre

The world's most iconic art museum opened 225 years ago today.

Why Was Paul McCartney Barefoot on the Cover of Abbey Road?

It's been 50 years since The Beatles' iconic album was released, and the conspiracy theories about Paul McCartney’s bare feet are still alive.

7 Missing Historical Treasures That May Never Be Seen Again

Keep your eye out for these at the next garage sale.

National WWII Museum and Arizona State University Have Teamed Up to Offer a World War II Master's Degree Program

It's the first program of its kind in the U.S.

Marie Curie Has Been Declared the Most Influential Woman in History

The two-time Nobel Prize winner tops the BBC's list of 100.

This Interactive Map Lets You Listen to the Sounds of Mysterious ‘Phantom Islands’

Hear an interpretation of the sounds of islands that were seen centuries ago, only to disappear forever.

Why Do So Many Diners Look Like Train Cars?

Diners were the original pop-up stores.

A Leonardo da Vinci Scholar Says He Knows the True Painter of the $450 Million 'Salvator Mundi'

It was the world's most expensive painting when it sold at auction last year.

Virginia Is Building a Monument to Hundreds of Women Who Shaped the State's History

The landmark will include 150 open spaces to be filled in with names of future history-makers.

8 Historical Buildings That Have Been Relocated

One was moved halfway across the world, brick by brick.

Dublin in 1941 after being struck by German bombs

Aftermath of Massive Fire in Ireland Reveals Hidden WWII Sign

It reads "Éire"—the country's name in Irish.

Conrad Wise Chapman, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Where Did the Ex-Confederate Leaders Go After the Confederacy Was Defeated by the Union?

Some went to prison. Others went into business.

This Is What Anne Frank's Arrest Looked Like

Anne Frank was captured by the Nazis on this date in 1944.

Illustration by Mental Floss. Images: iStock

8 Reasons to Grow a Beard, According to a 19th Century Book

6. Beard grooming is fun.

You Could Own This Historic English Mansion for Less Than $20

The sprawling 1760 estate is worth about $6.8 million, which makes it a steal.

10 Resonant Facts About the Liberty Bell

The crack was widened on purpose.

10 Facts About Lyndon B. Johnson

LBJ worked his way from the bottom to become one of the most unique, colorful, and controversial presidents in history.

10 Fascinating Facts About Herman Melville

Herman Melville drew on his own sea adventures for his best-selling novels (but 'Moby-Dick' wasn't one of them).

Wellcome Collection // CC BY 4.0 (cropped)

Sushruta, Ancient Indian Surgeon and Father of the Nose Job

He was practicing plastic surgery thousands of years before European surgeons were even washing their hands.

New Exhibition Spotlights the Hidden Histories of Diversity in the Circus

The circus was an early opportunity for women and people of color to buck off the restrictive roles assigned by Victorian society.

German Court Awards Farmer $1 Million for 2000-Year-Old Bronzed Horse Head Found in His Well

He was originally paid $55,946.

Tongue twisters have had people tripping over words for centuries.

The History Behind 8 Famous Tongue Twisters

Whether it's selling seashells by the seashore or buying Betty Botter's bitter butter, some of these difficult phrases go way back to when elocution was practiced as routinely as multiplication tables.

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