Mental Floss

LISTS

A mural titled ‘The Security of the People’ by Seymour Fogel, illustrating the values and programs put forth by the New Deal.

Nearly 100 years after the Great Depression, Americans are still benefiting from New Deal programs—and their protections and entitlements have become such a part of the social fabric that we often take them for granted. Here are just a few.

Colin Scanlon




Jayne Mansfield on the set of ‘The Girl Can’t Help It.’

The bottle-blonde bombshell studied five languages, played the violin and the piano, and reportedly had an IQ in the 160s. Here’s what else you need to know about actress Jayne Mansfield.

Rebecca Pahle






A great white shark.

Shark attacks are extremely rare. But they do occasionally happen, and some species are more likely to be behind the kill than others.

Lorna Wallace




Most Pride celebrations in the U.S. occur in June.

Since 1970, the LGBTQ community has marked June as Pride Month, in part to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, a watershed moment in LGBTQ history when patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back against a police raid.

Skylar Baker-Jordan


Hey, little guy.

From the long legs of the jerboa to basically everything about the duck-billed platypus, evolution has taken some weird turns.

Bethel Afful








Steer clear of the blast zone.

Discover some of history's most hilarious—and unforgettable—controversies that were caused by farts, including regime changes in Ancient Egypt and more.

Lucas Reilly
An aerial view of the Great Barrier Reef near Queensland, Australia.

Australia’s biggest natural wonder is a huge draw for tourists and fish alike. Here’s everything you need to know about the world’s most famous reef.

M. Arbeiter