Mental Floss

HISTORY

iStock

The Earliest Known Descriptions of 5 U.S. Landmarks

From the European discovery of America through to the land rushes and gold rushes of the 19th century, a host of explorers, navigators, cartographers, and prospectors have opened up the landscape of the United States over the years—and provided vivid acco

Science Advances

Scientists Decipher Charred Biblical Scroll Using 'Virtual Unwrapping'

The scroll was reduced to charcoal 1400 years ago.

Joseph via Flickr // CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Up for Auction: A Gilded Age Mansion With a Storied Past

Wyndclyffe Castle in Rhinebeck, New York, is said to have inspired the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses."

Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

The Secret Cave in Central Park—And Why It Was Sealed

The Tom Sawyer-esque hideout was a big hit with both children and adults.

Dudesleeper via Wikipedia//CC BY 2.5

18th Century Inn Wants Stolen Historic Items Back, No Questions Asked

The Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts is missing silverware, pictures, and even a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

If you lived in Holmfirth, England, in the 1940s, there's a good chance you would've found a tiger like this one wandering around town.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea … In the Middle of Rural Yorkshire

Long before the reign of the Tiger King, the Overend family owned Fenella, a tame tiger was permitted to run wild in the fields around the English village of Holmfirth.

Project Gutenberg // Public Domain

Uncovering Thieves’ Cant, the Elizabethan Slang of the Underworld

This secretive jargon was deliberately designed to confuse the authorities.

Museum Silkeborg

Archaeologists Discover Pot With 3000-Year-Old Burnt Cheese

An ancient kitchen mishap proves that culinary incompetence is timeless.

Keds

11 Comfy Facts About Keds

The iconic kicks—which made an appearance on The Ramones' debut album and at Yoko Ono's wedding to John Lennon—are turning 100.

iStock

Grin and Bare It: 11 Facts About Hair Removal

Alternate title: a roundup of historic torture devices.

Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

The American Foods Mark Twain Craved While Traveling Abroad

The long list includes bacon, peach cobbler, and possum.

Christie's

Here's Your Chance to Own a Piece of Reagan-Era History

Christie's is auctioning off over 700 items from the Reagans' personal collection later this month.

A Cold-War Mailbox for a Missile

A relic of an ambitious, abandoned plan to send mail across the U.S. using Cold War-era weaponry.

Wouter Engler via Wikimedia // CC BY-SA 4.0

7 Spectacular Lost Crown Jewels

Over the years, the crown jewels of many nations have been lost or destroyed—sometimes in very mysterious circumstances.

iStock

15 Forgotten Niceties We Should Bring Back

Here are some forgotten niceties worth remembering.

Uberprutser via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0 NL

What Are Those Picturesque Dutch Windmills Actually For?

What goes on inside a windmill?

Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Oscar Wilde’s Prison Cell Opens to the Public for the First Time

The prison that detained him is now hosting a tribute to the author.

alessandro0770/iStock via Getty Images

15 Facts About Football’s Early Days

Though what would become known as the NFL was formed on August 20, 1920, the roots of American-style football date back well over a century.

Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Irish Elementary School Displays Forgotten Roald Dahl Poem

The author wrote the verses for the Primate Dixon Primary School in 1988.

A Seven Society sign outside Old Cabell Hall at the University of Virginia

9 of the Most Exclusive College Secret Societies

Some of these societies meet to debate issues, while others focus on philanthropy, fine dining, or hell-raising.

Wikimedia Commons

Fellowship Lets Cartoonists Live in J.D. Salinger's Former Home

The house is located in rural New Hampshire—and it can be yours for one month.

iStock

A 1975 Physics Paper Was Co-Authored by a Siamese Cat

F.D.C. Willard contributed (in his own way) to a study of atomic behavior in varying temperatures.

Captain Cook’s Daisy

This dried-out daisy may not look like much, but it’s a testament to one of history’s most ambitious voyages.

Christie's

Up for Auction: A Piece of the Berlin Wall, Signed by Ronald Reagan

The historic object is expected to fetch anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000.