Mental Floss

POP CULTURE









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The video site debuted in 2005 and quickly took over the internet. Take a look at some interesting facts about their history. We promise not to Rickroll you.

Jake Rossen
getty images

More than six decades after its introduction, the Fender Stratocaster is still one of rock 'n' roll’s most iconic electric guitars. Here’s everything you need to know about the beloved Strat.

Chris M. Junior








Original production cel from Rikki-Tikki-Tavi on its key matching background.

When Chuck Jones decided to make the short film “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” he faced a challenge: How could he imbue the cobra-killing mongoose with a sense of personality, all without taking away from the fact that it was an animal?

Erin McCarthy




Getty Images

Whether you prefer the 1925 movie featuring Lon Chaney, the original Broadway production, or the 2004 Gerard Butler remake, there’s no question that the chandelier crash scene is one of the most iconic moments in The Phantom of the Opera.

Stacy Conradt




The Jim Henson Company / Facebook

On May 16, 1990, Jim Henson passed away. In the months that followed, a pair of memorial services paid tribute to the man who changed the entertainment landscape.

Chris Higgins
Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images

In 'The Great Detective,' author Zach Dundas reveals that the frenzy surrounding Sherlock Holmes isn’t strictly a Benedict Cumberbatch-related phenomenon. The master of Baker Street has always inspired fanatical devotion and feverish anticipation.

David W Brown