Mental Floss

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Beauty pageant contestants at the National Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana.

In the mid-20th century, businesses began to see the huge commercial possibilities of holding a contest where pretty girls would compete just for the honor of representing their product or main export.

Therese Oneill




Malcolm X, circa 1963.

The civil rights activist was far more complex than his historical image as a firebrand suggests. Read on for more facts about Malcolm X.

Scott Beggs


There's an adorable term for all those teeth hockey players lose.

You might be spitting chiclets if you do too much chirping. That sentence will make a whole lot more sense after you learn about hockey slang.

Keith Johnston






So regal.

The "gentle giant" of cats is a quirky—but lovable—feline with a lot of interesting tales to tell.

Kirstin Fawcett








Channing Tatum takes center stage in 'Magic Mike' (2012).

Steven Soderbergh’s dance dramedy, based partly on Channing Tatum's real-life pre-Hollywood career, sold tickets, burnished careers, elevated male stripping to an art form, and became the surprise hit of the summer of 2012.

Bradford Watson