LISTS

12 Famous Novelists Who Became Hollywood Screenwriters

Just because an author can write a best-selling and critically acclaimed novel doesn’t necessarily mean he can make the transition to screenwriter.

It tracks that James Bond creator Ian Fleming was also a spy.

10 Celebrities Who Spied on the Side

For some of these big-name personalities, spying taught them the skills that made them famous; for others, being famous made them the perfect spooks.

6 Things You Might Not Have Known About Billy Jack

Actor, director, and occasional presidential candidate Tom Laughlin passed away last week at the age of 82. Laughlin will probably be remembered most for the film Billy Jack, which he wrote, directed, and co-starred in.

Penguin Randomhouse (book cover), James Mato (background)

10 Things You Might Not Know About A Christmas Carol

Don't be a Scrooge—read up on these fascinating facts about Charles Dickens's classic novella, 'A Christmas Carol.'

11 Weird (But Awesome) Things at the Mütter Museum

From the conjoined livers from a pair of Siamese twins to slides of Albert Einstein’s brain, Philadelphia's Mütter Museum houses dozens of strange artifacts from medical history.

15 of the Greatest Gifts in the History of Presents

Perhaps something in our Historical Gift Guide will sound like the perfect present for the person in your life who has everything—everything except a 69-carat diamond, an eagle made of beer can tabs, and fire.

5 Historical Attempts to Ban Coffee

Coffee may seem harmless, but its historical rap sheet is a mile long.

8 Moments When Music and Middle-Earth Collided

Peter Jackson's latest J.R.R. Tolkein-based film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theaters today. But Tolkein's books haven't just inspired films. Here's a look back at a few Hobbit- and Lord of the Rings-inspired musical moments.

6 Surprising Ways to Make Better Decisions

When it comes time to make a big decision in your life, you want all the help you can get. Fortunately, there are some completely random things you can do to increase your chances of making the right decision.

11 Incredible Facts About Venus Flytraps

Some of the most influential people who ever lived have had a fascination with Dionaea muscipula. Here are 11 facts guaranteed to inspire one of your own.

10 Attempts to Thwart Christmas Tree Thieves

Cindy Lou Who proved that being cute won't stop the Grinch from stealing your Christmas tree. Luckily, Santa's posse has other strategies up their fuzzy red sleeves.

Remembering 11 Classic Holiday Commercials

Looking for a bright and colorful gift to put under the tree? How about 200 Lucky Strike cigarettes?

Parhelia of "sun dogs" appear over a field in Iowa.

11 Wonderful Winter Weather Terms

When winter bears down, it can be hard to think of anything outside of how much you hate (or love!) the snow and ice. Here are a few of the words and phenomena that could define this season.

11 Unexpected Musical Collaborations

When two musically disparate acts collaborate, the end results can be ... interesting.

While the Atari 2600 became a staple in living rooms around the globe with games like Space Invaders, it also played the notoriously shoddy E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which precipitated the video game crash of the 1980s.

11 Classic Video Games You Can Play Online for Free

The Internet Archive hosts a Historical Software Collection, letting you play classic games online, such as 'Pac-Man' and 'Pitfall.'

11 Awesome Pages from World War II Ration Cookbooks

My grandmother kept a stack of thin cookbooks, oftentimes product tie-ins, but the best were the ones that were dusty with history.

11 Rare Children's Books from the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress has a collection of books that would make any bookworm turn green with envy. One of their most interesting collections is their rare children's book library.

11 Neighborly Facts About the Mister Rogers Christmas Special

What do Jason Voorhees and Happy Gilmore have in common? They're both one step removed from the seldom-seen 1977 holiday special, "Christmastime with Mister Rogers."

11 Workshops from the International University of Santa Claus

Aspiring Kris Kringles and Mrs. Clauses alike can enroll in one- or two-day workshops with the International University of Santa Claus for a crash course on all things related to playing jolly old Saint Nick.