Mental Floss

LAW



Tomatoes can be either fruit or vegetable, depending on who you talk to.

One vendor’s dispute against a 19th-century import tariff led the U.S. Supreme Court to classify the tomato as a vegetable. But botanists disagree.

Jake Rossen






The ACLU regularly argues cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The group was founded during World War I to defend Americans’ First Amendment freedoms. Over the years, that mission has taken some unexpected turns.

Shaunacy Ferro












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

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.

Rob Lammle




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

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

Jake Rossen