Mental Floss

POP CULTURE

Jimmy Stewart in Alfred Hitchock's Rear Window (1954).

Alfred Hitchcock taught us all the dangers of spying on your neighbors with his 1954 thriller 'Rear Window'.

Kristin Hunt








Roddy Piper stars in They Live (1988).

John Carpenter’s masterpiece about a man who sees the world for what it really is with the help of a pair of sunglasses is one of greatest cult films of the '80s—and features one of the greatest movie lines of all time.

Matthew Jackson
Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Mark Twain is widely considered the author of the first great American novel—'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'—but his rollicking tales aren’t the only legacy he left behind.

Emily Petsko


Chris Jackson, Getty Images

The popular puzzle game grew out of a childhood activity played by inventor Leslie Scott and her brother.

Jake Rossen






Claire Danes and Jared Leto star in My So-Called Life (1994).

On August 25, 1994, teenagers across the country were introduced to Angela Chase, Claire Danes's character in the beloved, albeit short-lived, teen drama 'My So-Called Life.'

Rudie Obias
Amazon

The Pet Rock was the brainchild of copywriter Gary Dahl, who thought America needed a laugh during the largely humorless post-Vietnam and Watergate era.

Jake Rossen
EvgeniiAnd/iStock via Getty Images

In the United States, children who leave a newly lost tooth under their pillow know to expect a nocturnal visit from the Tooth Fairy, who might leave a shiny quarter, a new toothbrush, or perhaps even a crisp $20 bill!

Garrett Williams


Joan Weldon and James Arness star in Them! (1954).

Find out about the real-world nuclear fears and trailblazing creature effects that went into this “big bug” blockbuster.

Mark Mancini






Warner Home Video

'The Wizard of Oz' is an often-imitated but never-duplicated cinematic treasure that remains an integral part of childhood 80 years after it first enchanted audiences in theaters.

Sarene Leeds