Mental Floss

POLITICS





As we’ve been seeing lately, everything politicians have done since birth ends up being in the news—especially during election time. Game show appearances are no exception, so check out these seven politico contestants. Some did surprisingly well; others

Stacy Conradt




Getty Images

You might have to be 35 to run for president, but you can become mayor of a town much, much sooner. Qualifications for the job vary depending on the size of the city and its need, but some ambitious teenagers have stepped up in recent decades and, thanks

Danny Groner
iStock / alexxx1981

The festival started sometime in the late 1700s (it's unclear exactly when) for citizens to gather to learn the outcome of state and national elections. Now it's just an opportunity to hold a festival in the city of Georgetown, complete with a carriage pa

Jason Plautz








iStock

Diplomatic immunity may be intended to keep diplomats from running afoul of local authorities while serving abroad, but some workers take it as a license to act like jerks.

Ethan Trex
Ollie Atkins, White House photographer, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

Presidents as far back as George Washington have waited until their final days in office to sign pardons. Let's take a look at some of history's more notable ones.

Ethan Trex
iStock

As the presidential election inches closer, both candidates are looking for any little edge they might be able to find. To some undecided voters, a ringing endorsement might be just the thing they need to jump firmly into one candidate's camp. Although

Ethan Trex