November 2011
56 posts
Will Smith turned down the role of Neo in The...
He starred in Wild Wild West instead.
In an interview with Wired, Smith said, “I would have absolutely messed up The Matrix. At that point I wasn’t smart enough as an actor to let the movie be—whereas Keanu was.”
October 2011
53 posts
Bloody, Gory, and Delectably Evil Horror-Themed...
More here.
Eleanor Abbott invented Candy Land as a diversion...
Who Ran the First Banner Ad?
Most sources say AT&T. It appeared on HotWired.com on October 27, 1994, and read, “Have you ever clicked your mouse right here? You Will.”
Hugh Hefner's figure at Madame Tussauds in Vegas...
According to MLB.com, major league umpires can...
In 1955, the New York State Labor Department ruled...
Just Keep Your Power Gloves Off Her, Pal
Some thoughts on The Wizard.
Toblerone is a portmanteau of the creator’s name,...
According to the National Retail Federation,...
Jacuzzi is a brand name. You can buy Jacuzzi...
The Jacuzzi family also has a vineyard.
In 1968, Wilt Chamberlain endorsed and campaigned...
Gallup's highest-ever presidential approval rating...
The lowest was Harry Truman in 1952 (22%).
[Note: Original post had an extra ‘H.’ Sorry about that!]
Mental Floss: The Book!
Pre-order our 10th anniversary book before November 1st and get 15% off — just use the coupon code WISHLIST. Tell your book-reading (or gift-buying) friends!
The Best and Worst Political Campaign Songs (But...
In 2002, Saddam Hussein’s sham campaign’s theme song was “I Will Always Love You.” Here are some other great (and terrible and scandalous) song choices candidates have made.
During the recent BlackBerry outage, there were...
[According to police in the UAE. We found this stat in our sister publication, The Week.]
Ten Years Ago Today, Apple Introduced the iPod
On October 23, 2001, Apple launched “What It Calls an Easier to Use Portable Music Player.”
If You Touch a Baby Bird, Will Its Mother Really...
Mike Truchon / Shutterstock.com
Matt Soniak fact-checks something his mom always told him.
In 1983, Redondo Beach adopted the Goodyear Blimp...
Norman Bridwell almost called his big red dog Tiny, but his wife suggested Clifford—the name of her old imaginary friend.
Are Teenage Trick-or-Treaters Breaking the Law?
Do some towns really have laws on the books setting age limits for trick-or-treating? What’s the punishment?
Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd...
5 Tyrants Who Died Relatively Peaceful Deaths...
…and 5 Who Weren’t So Lucky.
How big is Big Bird?
8 feet, 2 inches.
1987 Matthew Perry Sitcom Predicted Qaddafi’s 2011...
Watch the clip here (skip ahead to the 2:20 mark).
Because of the long hours he spent studying during...
Peaceful Protests: Do They Work?
With Occupy Wall Street in its second month of demonstrations, here’s a look back at some other notable protest movements—from tragic to triumphant to just plain weird.
Continue Reading: 13 Peaceful Protests and Whether They Worked
Horses can't vomit.
Ron Swanson: The Quiz
Ron Swanson is Parks and Recreation’s breakout star, but how well do you really know everyone’s favorite mustachioed Libertarian?
Take the Quiz: Ron Swanson
Toby Ziegler Yelling at People
Watch some clips.
Anchorman, Zoolander, or Blades of Glory?
Take the Quiz
On Reagan's watch, the White House Santa was...
These People Were Featured on Historically Bad...
These are their stories.
Wyngz Night
From TIME: “The USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service allows the use of the term ‘wyngz’ to denote a product that is in ‘the shape of a wing or a bite-sized appetizer type product’ but that contains no wing meat but only under certain conditions. These conditions include the stipulation that the poultry used is white chicken (with or without skin) and...
The word 'PEZ' comes from the German word for...
Failed PEZ flavors include coffee, eucalyptus, menthol, and flower.
Name That Cereal!
How well can you recognize your favorite cereals without flashy packaging or a kooky mascot staring back at you from across the table?
Take the Quiz: Name That Cereal!
Mitt Romney's first name is Willard.
When he ran for Governor of Massachusetts in 2002, one of his campaign slogans was “Mitt Happens.”
The Ancient (Like 1997!) Websites of the...
With the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, we can see what the Republican hopefuls were doing online long before this election cycle. Here’s a look at the candidates’ earliest adventures on the information superhighway.
The Apple of My Arm
Talk about a real test of devotion: in 19th century rural Austria, eligible lasses would keep an apple slice crammed in their armpits during dances. At the end of the night the girl would give her slice to the guy who caught her eye. If the feeling was mutual, he’d wolf down the stinky apple. (Something’s telling us Austrian guys weren’t too broken up over the death of this ritual.)
[by...
What Flavor Combo Made Up Ecto Cooler?
We have a special guest quizmaster — Hillary Buckholtz of I’m Remembering! From beverages to cereals to game shows, she’ll be testing your memories all week. Make her feel welcome! Oh, and see how well you recall these famous (and infamous) drinks.
Take the Quiz: Remember That Drink?
Where Are They Now? Diseases That Killed You in...
Oregon Trail taught generations of kids about various strange-sounding diseases. Let’s catch up with those diseases and find out if they’re just as nasty today.
17 Vowel-Free Words Acceptable in Words With...
One of them is crwths.
Legendary Alabama football coach Bear Bryant was...
According to legend, he said, “Here’s a twenty, bury two.”
Matthew McConaughey, Cheryl Hines and Daniel Dae...
(Yes, McConaughey walked around with his shirt unbuttoned.)
Apple's Famous "Here's to the Crazy Ones" Ad...
…this time narrated by Steve Jobs.
The U.S. Army Sells a Cologne Called "Patton"
Continue Reading: 16 Bizarre Things You Can Pay to Smell Like
The Flags Tonight at Apple
Just today one of our interns was working on a quote quiz: ‘Steve Jobs or The Matrix?’ We probably won’t have her finish it, but one of the quotes she stumbled across—which I didn’t read until after I heard the news—gave me the chills:
“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what...
Of All the Shameless Movie Ripoffs, This Is Our...
These are good, too.
Words We Need in English
You know when your friend takes a bite of a piping hot pizza, then opens his mouth and sort of tilts his head around while making an “aaaarrrahh” noise? The Ghanaians have a word for that. More specifically, Pelinti means “to move hot food around in your mouth.”
Read more: 14 More Wonderful Words With No English Equivalent
Geeky Wedding Pictures From Ungeeky Weddings
Some couples have fairly normal ceremonies, but let their inner nerdiness slip out in their wedding photos. See more here.
