LAW

Nelson Mandela, Jerry Springer, and John Cleese have at least one thing in common.

30 Famous People With Law Degrees

You might be surprised at what Fidel Castro, Francis Scott Key, and Henri Matisse have in common.

Tibetan Mastiffs are majestic and expensive.

The 10 Most Expensive Dog Breeds to Own

The upfront costs aren’t the only factors to consider when purchasing a pet.

10 Hoax Definitions, Paper Towns, and Other Things That Don’t Exist

Facts become very easy to copyright when they aren’t true. Here are people, places, and things that exist only on paper, solely to thwart would-be info burglars.

The Equal Rights Amendment is the best-known Constitutional amendment that is not yet part of the Constitution.

6 Constitutional Amendments That Just Missed the Cut

Since 1789, Congress has sent 33 constitutional amendments to the states for ratification. Here’s the scoop on the six amendments that didn't make the grade.

The Dame of Sark, Sibyl Hathaway, in March 1953.

How the World’s Only Feudal Lord Outclassed the Nazis to Save Her People

Dame Sibyl Hathaway protected her people with the unlikeliest of weapons: Feudal etiquette, old-world manners, and a dollop of classic snobbery.

Birkenstocks aren’t legally-protected art.

Birkenstocks Are Officially Not Art, German Court Rules

The beloved sandal is a practical design, but it's not art. Not in Germany, anyway.

A portrait of the Hatfield family, sworn enemies of the McCoys.

4 Bloody Family Feuds in American History

If you have a disagreement with your neighbor today, you might head to small-claims court. In 19th-century rural America, such disputes were often solved with the business end of a gun.

It was not the first time someone has sued a deity.

The Politician Who Sued God

In the world of politics, nobody is safe from a well-executed smear campaign.

It was about modernization—and also politics.

Why the Letters Q, W, and X Were Once Illegal in Türkiye

Sometimes the letter of the law has tough things to say about, well, letters.

From this moment on, multiple entities have argued over ownership of the ‘Titanic’

Who Owns the ‘Titanic’?

The complicated legal case involving salvage rights to the RMS ‘Titanic’ continues, 40 years after the famous shipwreck was rediscovered.

Scotland Has “No Intention” of Banning Cats, First Minister Confirms

The Scottish government won’t be rounding up people’s pets any time soon.

One of the biggest differences between a ship and a boat is size—but it’s not the only one.

Ship vs. Boat: What’s the Difference?

You will instantly reveal yourself as a landlubber if you refer to a ship as a boat. Here’s how to tell the difference.

Elizabeth Freeman, the Formerly Enslaved Woman Who Successfully Sued for Her Freedom

The courts ruled that the newly passed Massachusetts Constitution guaranteed that Freeman was indeed a free woman.

Need an iPhone With TikTok Access? They’re Being Listed for Thousands on eBay

Those with TikTok withdrawal can get their fix. For a price.

Artifacts at the ‘Titanic’ wreck may never see the light of day.

‘Titanic’ Salvage Missions Placed on Indefinite Hold Thanks to Legal Issues

A blend of bureaucracy and saltwater is conspiring to keep any of the ship’s remaining secrets from being brought to the surface.

Swearing the presidential Oath of Office on a Bible is traditional, but not required.

Has Every U.S. President Been Sworn in on a Bible?

The U.S. Constitution requires every president-elect to swear the Oath of Office—and that’s about it.

Popeye will soon be at the mercy of low-budget filmmakers.

10 Works Entering the Public Domain in 2025

The 95-year limit on copyright is about to expire on some classic movies, books, and one cartoon sailor.

It's hard to keep a good vamp movie down.

How the Classic Vampire Movie ‘Nosferatu’ Cheated Court-Ordered Death

‘Nosferatu’ was not the first vampire film, but it is (arguably) the oldest surviving one. Discover more about the legal battle that almost put this classic vampire flick in an early grave.

The Supreme Court has weighed a convicted person’s right to refuse a pardon in three major cases.

Can a Person Refuse a Presidential Pardon?

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in at least three cases on a person’s right to refuse a presidential pardon.

Let’s investigate the high-stakes world of Social Security trivia.

Was the First-Ever Social Security Number Really 001-01-0001?

In 1936, someone got bragging rights to having the lowest possible Social Security Number—but only after several others turned it down.

Keep these laws in mind when traveling to these countries.

Map Shows How Driving Etiquette Differs Around the World

This map covers the surprising driving laws and customs followed in 180 countries.

Uncrustables shook the sandwich and patent worlds.

How Uncrustables Reinvented the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

A sealed, crustless sandwich shook the patent world to its core.

President Obama departing the White House on January 20, 2016.

Here’s When a President’s Term Officially Ends

Inauguration Day isn’t just a matter of scheduling—presidential term limits are exactly four years, down to the hour.

7 Historical ‘Wars on Christmas’

Christmas has been canceled a fair number of times throughout history.

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