Mental Floss

LISTS







Clockwise from left: Gilbert Stuart's unfinished portrait of George Washington on the $1 bill; Basilica de la Sagrada Familia; a page from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales;  Boldt Castle; Reactors 5 and 6 at Chernobyl; and the National Monument of Scotland.

Famous presidential portraits, literary masterpieces, and iconic tourist destinations all make the list of amazing unfinished projects.

Justin Dodd


With this creative alternatives, you won’t even miss tinsel.

The fashion of the modern Christmas tree has left tinsel behind, and you can too. With these seven alternatives, we don’t think you’ll even miss it.

Zoë Randolph


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

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.

Todd Gilchrist






Did I do that? Yes, Steve Urkel really did somehow get lost in space for the Family Matters series finale.

A surprising number of television shows have ended with the sudden appearance of dinosaurs, demons, and that tired old trope of shooting your lead into outer space.

Jake Rossen
Terry Pratchett in 1996.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Terry Pratchett’s first novel, here are some things you might not know about the architect of Discworld.

April Snellings




Hayao Miyazaki is the director behind acclaimed animated movies such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and The Wind Rises.

Director Hayao Miyazaki is responsible for some of the most beloved animated movies of all time—here are 11 things you should know about him.

Rudie Obias


Many '90s kids will remember playing Zoombinis.

Zoombinis graced the screens of many a ‘90s PC, inviting kids to use logic and experimentation as they led a troupe of exploited island workers through a Deep, Dark Forest and the Mountains of Despair en route to Zoombiniville.

Zoë Randolph


Snap-dragon was just one unusual Victorian Christmas tradition.

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.

Keith Johnston
Franklin Pierce, 14th president of the United States.

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."

Scott Beggs