Mental Floss

LISTS

Clerical workers processing forms for production requirement plan, Priorities Division, War Production Board.

Federal agencies come and go with each new presidential administration. Here are a few notable examples.

Adrienne Crezo






“Don’t touch the art” is a simple rule stated at almost every gallery and museum in the world—yet for some reason, there are some who ignore it, and they’ve left a trail of mangled artwork in their wake.

Andrew LaSane


Bruce Springsteen.

In 1975, Bruce Springsteen was at risk of being dropped by his record label. The release of ‘Born to Run’ on August 25, 1975, changed everything—a fact made all the more wild considering how close Springsteen came to scrapping the record completely.

Kenneth Partridge
Students perform a dance during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Each May for more than 40 years, America has paid tribute to the vast cultural contributions of its Asian and Pacific Islander citizens. Here are a few fascinating facts about how Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month came to be.

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No siestas during this major holiday.

There’s a lot to learn about the rich history surrounding Cinco de Mayo, the annual springtime celebration of Hispanic heritage and culture in the United States. Discover the origins of the holiday here, plus so much else.

Jessica Bloustein Marshall


Add more heft to your TBR pile with these gripping fiction and nonfiction books.

The best Vietnam War books from Tim O’Brien, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others offer new insights and perspectives into the conflict that you probably never got from history class.

Greg Zapata




A male cardinal.

These crested songbirds add a welcome dash of color to yards throughout much of the United States. Let’s get a little better acquainted with our rosy, non-migratory neighbors.

Mark Mancini