Mental Floss

LISTS







Your giftee would die to receive these presents.

Humans have a strange and lasting fascination with the dark and macabre. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a list of the best gifts for true crime fans that will appeal to any murder mystery lover.

Hannah McDonald


Noah Webster.

Noah Webster—who was born on October 16, 1758—compiled America’s most influential dictionary, Americanized our English, essentially founded the publishing industry, and was a pioneer in epidemiology. Here's what you should know about Webster.

April Snellings










Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe in 'Blonde' (2022).

With Netflix's 'Blonde,' Ana de Armas is the latest in a long line of actors who have attempted to portray Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood’s ultimate It Girl. 

Jon O'Brien


How many Christopher Pike books did you read in the '90s?

In the ‘90s, it felt like every teenager had their nose buried in a Christopher Pike novel. Here are the stories behind novels like 'The Midnight Club,' 'Fall Into Darkness,' and 'Chain Letter.'

Erin McCarthy




A 2013 photo of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, showing the vacant frame from which Rembrandt's The Storm on the Sea of Galilee was stolen.

Unsolved crimes are exhaustively covered in the media, but chances are, there’s at least one crime from history in this list—from unsolved art heists to mysterious crimes committed against (or by?) royals—that you’re not familiar with.

Jon Mayer
This holiday season, give your wife presents she'll love using year-round.

Looking for a gift your wife will love? Whether your spouse is a fitness fanatic, reader, or coffee lover, there's a gift here that will fit her perfectly.

Molly Gregory