FACTS

15 Fascinating Facts About John Kennedy Toole’s ‘A Confederacy of Dunces’

If it wasn’t for John Kennedy Toole’s mom, his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel would likely have been lost to time.

8 Gripping Facts About the Vietnam War Draft

Dive into the history of the draft during the Vietnam War, including its origins, how long it lasted, and how some young Boomers successfully managed to dodge it.

The Nintendo 64 defined many people’s childhoods.

12 Surprising Facts About 1990s Video Games

For some people, video games were a pleasant way to pass the time in the 1990s. For others, they were a cultural crisis.

11 Space Facts That Will Change Your Perspective

If the sun were the size of a basketball, the Earth would be no larger than a pinhead.

Learn Amazing Facts About Women Scientists With Kari Byron

The former MythBusters host and co-founder of the National STEM Festival tells us what emerging tech she thinks kids today won’t be able to live without—and what we can expect from the podcast she’s launching with fellow MythBuster Tory Belleci.

15 Intriguing Facts About ‘You’

The series’ fifth and final season is expected to hit Netflix in 2024. Here’s what you should know.

7 Out-of-This-World Facts About Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Martian Chronicles’

The fix-up novel, which turns 75 this year, would become one of Bradbury’s most famous books—and inspire future scientists.

Nurse Agnes from Uganda’s Bwindi Community Hospital prepares a vaccination against measles.

7 Facts About Measles

Before the measles vaccine, there were between 3 and 4 million cases in the U.S. per year. Now, it’s less than 500.

15 Things You Might Not Know About Robert Altman

The seven-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind M*A*S*H and Gosford Park, who would have turned 100 this year, changed how we watch—and hear—movies. He also tattooed Harry S. Truman’s dog.

11 Fascinating Facts About Edward Gorey

‘The Gashlycrumb Tinies’ author was born 100 years ago on February 22—here’s what you need to know about him, from what classic book he found boring to how much he really helped with PBS’s show ‘Mystery!’

7 Fascinating Facts About Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall Apart’

He wrote the book partially in response to European writers like Joseph Conrad, who Achebe said depicted Africa “as ‘the other world,’ the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization.”

Lukas Haas, Kelly McGillis, Brent Jennings, and Harrison Ford in ‘Witness.’

9 Fascinating Facts About ‘Witness’

Roger Ebert loved Peter Weir’s film, calling it “an electrifying and poignant love story” and “a thriller ... Alfred Hitchcock would have been proud to make.” ‘Witness’ turns 40 this year; here’s what you should know.

Another excuse to plunge back into the world of Westeros.

10 Fascinating Facts About ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’

Here’s everything you need to know about the Tales of Dunk and Egg, the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel novellas that inspired HBO’s upcoming adaptation.

12 Mysterious Facts About ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’

Peter Weir’s Australian New Wave classic turns 50 this year. Here’s what you need to know about the film, from the off-limits question Weir asked book author Joan Lindsay to the spooky stuff that happened on set.

The dogs who pulled off the Nome Serum run might have looked a little bit like this.

10 Things You Need to Know About the 1925 Serum Run to Nome, Alaska

From January 27, 1925 until February 2, 20 mushers and 150 dogs heroically transported desperately needed diphtheria antitoxin to the remote town of Nome, Alaska, saving countless lives in the process. But the event wasn’t without controversy.

101 Things We Learned in 2024

Let’s celebrate another year in the books with a look back at how our knowledge grew over the past 12 months.

Learn Amazing Facts About Louis Armstrong With James Monroe Iglehart

The performer, who is currently playing Armstrong on Broadway in ‘A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical,’ dropped by the Mental Floss studios to walk us through some fascinating details about Armstrong’s life.

6 Fascinating Facts About ‘Salvage the Bones’

Here’s how Jesmyn Ward’s award-winning novel about Hurricane Katrina came to be.

The Tower of London as seen from the River Thames.

7 Formidable Facts About the Tower of London

The Tower of London inspires awe, fear, and intrigue. Here are seven facts you may not know about the iconic British fortress.

11 Chilling Facts About the 1972 Andes Plane Crash

Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed in a remote location in Chile’s Andes Mountains on October 13, 1972—and those who made it through the crash would need to resort to desperate measures to survive.

8 Fascinating Facts About ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’

Here's how Stieg Larsson's modern classic came to be.

Learn Amazing Facts About the U.S. Constitution With A.J. Jacobs

Author A.J. Jacobs spent a year living like a Founding Father to better understand the U.S. Constitution. Here’s what he learned.

11 Fascinating Facts About The Velvet Underground

To rock snobs, art-school students, and dads everywhere, the Velvet Underground are the cornerstone of rock and roll. Here are 11 facts on their background and influence.

6 Fascinating Facts About Ha Jin’s ‘Waiting’

He got the idea from a story his wife told him while they were visiting her parents: “I joked, ‘This would be good for a novel. I am going to write a novel based on this.’ ”