Mental Floss

THROWBACK



Just try not to get the bottoms all wet.

When were JNCO jeans popular and how did they come to be? Discover more about the history of these ultra wide-legged pants and why they were created in the first place.

Jake Rossen






The Neopets website.

You might think of Neopets as nothing more than an internet-based Tamagotchi—but they helped pave the way for Web 2.0.

Jake Rossen


Nintendo wasn't always about video games.

Before Nintendo burrowed its way into millions of homes, it had to win over retailers in New York City—and the difficulty level was set to 'almost impossible.'

Jake Rossen


Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images

Mad magazine gave us Alfred E. Neuman and Spy vs. Spy and made irreverent, anti-establishment humor a thing. Here's what you need to know about 'Mad.'

Jake Rossen




KLH49/iStock via Getty Images Plus

It’s a story involving the Supreme Court, Mr. Rogers, Tom Cruise, and E.T., and we’re about to rewind it all.

Jake Rossen
Cornellier, Wikimedia// CC BY-SA 4.0

In the first edition of "Throwback," our all-new YouTube series, we take a deep dive into the bizarre history of Sea-Monkeys and Harold von Braunhut, the man who created them—then funneled the millions he made into illegal activities.

Alvin Ward