HISTORY

What’s the Smallest Country In the World?

Determining the world’s smallest country isn’t as easy as simply calculating area or population.

History's Greatest Escapes w/ Arturo Castro | Amazing Facts with Mental Floss

Learn Amazing Facts About Historical Escapes with Arturo Castro

The actor just wrapped up a podcast called ‘Greatest Escapes’—and now he’s dropping amazing facts about those escapes and more on the latest episode of Amazing Facts with Mental Floss.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 15: Wildest of the Wild Bunch

Ben Feldman (‘Monsters at Work,’ ‘Superstore’) sets off into the sunset with Arturo as they hop on the trail of one of the Wild West’s greatest outlaws, Kid Curry.

Clerical workers processing forms for production requirement plan, Priorities Division, War Production Board.

11 Defunct Federal Agencies

Federal agencies come and go with each new presidential administration. Here are a few notable examples.

The “secret” Vatican archives remain off-limits to most.

15 Historic Documents in the Vatican’s Private Archive

From a petition for Henry VIII’s divorce to Galileo’s heresy trial notes, the Vatican’s private archives hold documents that changed the world.

10 Things You Might Not Have Known About Alcatraz

At 9:40 a.m. on the morning of August 11, 1934, Alcatraz's first group of prisoners—137 in all—arrived at the soon-to-be-infamous prison.

Where Does the Expression ‘Put Your Foot in Your Mouth’ Come From?

Made an awkward blunder in a conversation? You might have just put your foot in your mouth. Learn more about the history and origins surrounding this commonly used phrase here.

Students perform a dance during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

5 Facts About Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Each May for more than 40 years, America has paid tribute to the vast cultural contributions of its Asian and Pacific Islander citizens. Here are a few fascinating facts about how Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month came to be.

How Paperbacks Transformed the Way Americans Read

Half a century before e-books turned publishing upside down, a different format threatened to destroy the industry.

Why Do People Drink Mint Juleps at the Kentucky Derby?

Discover how the bourbon-mint concoction was embraced by the horse-racing world and became the default drink at the Kentucky Derby.

Cinco Por Cinco: 5 Fun Facts About Cinco de Mayo

There’s a lot to learn about the rich history surrounding Cinco de Mayo, the annual springtime celebration of Hispanic heritage and culture in the United States. Discover the origins of the holiday here, plus so much else.

Why Mother’s Day Founder Anna Jarvis Later Fought to Have the Holiday Abolished

Years after she founded Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis realized that she had lost control of the holiday she helped create.

A snapshot from the 150th Kentucky Derby, 2024.

10 Questions About the Kentucky Derby, Answered

Put on a fancy hat, grab a mint julep, and become the best-informed person at your Derby party.

The Alien Act was enacted by John Adams’s Federalist administration in preparation for a war that didn’t actually happen.

11 Fundamental Facts About the Alien and Sedition Acts

Three of the four acts expired shortly after they were signed into law in the late 1700s. One remains active—and it’s been at the center of constitutional debates ever since.

17 Mysterious Time Capsules

Time capsules can hold anything from historic writings to Diana Ross’s fake eyelash.

Add more heft to your TBR pile with these gripping fiction and nonfiction books.

14 of the Best Books on the Vietnam War

The best Vietnam War books from Tim O’Brien, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others offer new insights and perspectives into the conflict that you probably never got from history class.

The Quest to Break America’s Most Mysterious Code—And Find $60 Million in Buried Treasure

For the past century, the quest to break the Beale Ciphers has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.

‘Greatest Escapes With Arturo Castro’ Episode 14: The Volleyball Escape

Ophira Eisenberg (comedian and host of ‘Parenting is a Joke’ podcast) partners with Arturo as they head back to World War II and recap the biggest escape to ever occur from an American POW camp. (Spoiler Alert: The good guys still come out victorious!)

Two Vietnam War veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

11 Ways to Support Vietnam War Veterans

The number of living Vietnam Veterans is quickly dwindling. Now’s the time to show them you care.

Harvey Washington Wiley (back row, second from left) and the young volunteers of the Poison Squad.

The Men Who Volunteered to Be Poisoned by the Government

In 1902, 12 men agreed to take low doses of poison in order to test their efficacy as food preservatives. No one died. Basically.

10 Iconic Photos from the Vietnam War

A picture is worth a thousand words—and a half-century of history.

9 Things You Should Know About Franz Marc and ‘Yellow Cow’

The cow in ‘Yellow Cow’ (‘Gelbe Kuh’ in German) might be a representation of the artist’s second wife.

Bruce Springsteen performing during the ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ tour in 1984.

“Born In the U.S.A.”: How Bruce Springsteen’s Anti-Vietnam Anthem Got Lost In Translation

“Born in the USA,” the title track off Bruce Springsteen’s blockbuster 1984 album, isn’t the patriotic singalong many people thought it was. In fact, the Boss himself called it “a protest song.”

Westsylvania is just one state that never made the cut.

12 Proposed U.S. States That Didn't Make the Cut

The road to our 50 states is littered with wannabe territories that couldn't wait to be admitted to the union, but never quite got there. Here are 12 states that could have been.