HISTORY

Not surprisingly, the Witness Protection Program is pretty mysterious.

23 Facts About the Witness Protection Program

What exactly is the Witness Protection Program, and how does it work? Here's what you need to know about the secretive program.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and The Duchess of Sussex leave following their wedding ceremony in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018.

11 Royals Who Married Commoners

From England to Japan, royal family members have been upending tradition and risking it all to be with the people they love for decades.

11 Facts About Sir Ernest Shackleton

Polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1914 voyage to Antarctica was an epic failure, but he returned a hero.

6 Ways Christmases Past Used to be Terrible

It wasn’t always the most wonderful time of the year. In centuries past, Christmas was often violent, scary, and disgusting. So for all those Grinches who are skeptical of today’s Yuletide customs, be thankful you weren’t alive centuries ago.

This hand contains one of Saint Nicholas’s fingers.

7 Places You Can See St. Nicholas's Bones

Over the centuries, relic fragments of what are said to be St. Nick’s bones have been acquired by an impressive number of churches around the world.

Catherine the Great (at getting vaccinated).

A Letter From Catherine the Great Extolling the Benefits of Vaccines Just Sold for More Than $1 Million

When it came to endorsing the smallpox vaccine, Catherine the Great led by example (and then by telling her subordinates to vaccinate their villages).

"Get your papahs heaaah!" - This kid, probably, in 1909.

'Give Readers Courage': When Grit Newspaper Sold Peace and Positivity

For a large part of the 20th century, 'Grit' was a newspaper that focused almost exclusively on positivity, with a mandate to "suggest peace and good will towards men."

The plague devastated Eyam in the 17th century.

How One Small English Village Sacrificed Itself to Stop the Plague From Spreading

Eyam, England's drastic response to the plague—including quarantines and social distancing—influenced later medical practice.

Jack Kerouac's classic novel wasn't as spontaneous as you've been led to believe.

8 Facts About On the Road

'On the Road,' Jack Kerouac’s stream-of-consciousness travelogue, charts the adventures of Sal Paradise and Dean Moriarty as they road trip across the United States. Here’s what you should know.

The magician P. T. Selbit performing a sawing a woman in half trick.

The Magician and the Suffragette: The Strange History of Sawing a Woman in Half

The magic trick of sawing a woman in half was first performed a century ago by P.T. Selbit, a British magician.

The document on display at Sotheby's in New York City nearlier this fall.

A Rare, Original Print of the U.S. Constitution Just Sold for a Record-Breaking $43 Million

A precious copy of the U.S. Constitution fetched roughly $23 million more than its estimated value at auction.

Steve Jobs introduces the first iPhone during his keynote speech at Macworld on January 9, 2007.

20 of the Most Important Moments in Internet History

From its first steps out of the primordial sludge of the ARPANET days to its current role as a vessel for cat videos and Netflix, we're taking a look at just some of the most important moments in internet history.

Nikola Tesla demonstrates alternating current (AC) in his lab in 1901.

20 of History’s Most Outrageous Scientific Feuds

History is rife with debate over fundamental aspects of existence—but sometimes, those feuds got a little out of hand. Here are 20 of the wildest scientific throwdowns.

The Mental Floss team drops all of these fun facts and more at cocktail parties.

20 Amazingly Random Facts We've Learned in 20 Years of Mental Floss

No Mental Floss celebration—and no celebration of Mental Floss—would be complete without dropping a few fascinating facts and tidbits of trivia.

Why Do We Say 'Have a Chip on Your Shoulder'?

What does ‘chip on your shoulder’ mean? These days, nothing literal. But actual chips and shoulders used to be involved.

Queen Victoria visits the HMS Resolute, a British naval ship used for Arctic exploration, in December 1856.

When Exactly Was the Victorian Era?

The Victorian era brought changes that reached far beyond England’s borders. In fact, England’s borders also reached far beyond what we now know as England’s borders.

Is this Bloody Mary part of the problem or solution?

Can Drinking More Alcohol Cure a Hangover? The Truth Behind the Hair of the Dog

The hair of the dog is one of the oldest hangover cures still around today. But can it really save you from that pounding headache?

Howard Johnson's was a beacon for hungry travelers.

When Howard Johnson's Was America's Home Away From Home

In the 1950s, families didn't flock to McDonald's or Friendly's. They headed for Howard Johnson's, which lured them in with a bright orange roof, 28 flavors of ice cream, and French chefs preparing classic American food.

Snap-dragon was just one unusual Victorian Christmas tradition.

11 Odd Victorian Christmas Traditions

Many Victorian Christmas traditions inspired our holiday rituals today. But some odd ones, like playing snap-dragon and other dangerous parlor games, are no longer common.

Franklin Pierce, 14th president of the United States.

11 Fascinating Facts About Franklin Pierce

Franklin Pierce was, by all measures, set up for a life of military and political success, the height of which he achieved when he took the oath of the nation's highest office on March 4, 1853. Here's what you should know about "Fainting Frank."

A poster for Howard Thurston's magic show in 1908.

14 Captivating Facts About Magic

Learn how Harry Houdini betrayed his namesake, why people were wary of the cups and balls illusion, and more facts from the history of magic.

In the 1980s, Glasgow was no place to be peddling ice cream.

Cone of Silence: The Glasgow Ice Cream Wars of the 1980s

In the Glasgow of the 1980s, a visit from the ice cream truck could mean anything from a fudge bar to murder.

CSA Images // iStock via Getty Images Plus

17 of the Most Unusual Heists in History

Some of history's most unusual heists involve high-profile art, food, bugs and bee hives, bizarre disguises, and, yes, money, jewels, and gold.

A Brief History of the Crockpot on its 50th Anniversary

The Crockpot—which made its debut in 1971 at Chicago’s National Housewares Show—traces its roots to 19th century Lithuania.

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