Mental Floss

SHIPS

“The Plague Hospital,” a painting by Francisco Goya.

The Black Death—the world's second bubonic plague pandemic—decimated the populations of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe in the 14th century. But there was a silver lining.

Claire Cock-Starkey
On a cruise ship, the name ‘Oscar’ has a very serious meaning.

Whether they’re said over a PA or in a one-on-one conversation, these seemingly innocuous terms are actually codes to alert those in the know that something is up while keeping others in the dark.

Jane Alexander












The facts of these ships is unknown.

The true fate of many of these ships will never be known, but speculation suggests that storms, piracy, mutiny, accidental bombing, and even the attack of a giant squid could be responsible for their vanishings.

Claire Cock-Starkey




The RMS 'Titanic'

The 'Titanic' sinking became the most infamous shipwreck in history—but what really happened on that unusually calm night in the North Atlantic?

Kat Long