Mental Floss

ALL STORIES

Confederate and Union soldiers fighting during the Battle of Allatoona Pass: the high-stakes battle that popularized "hold the fort."

Discover the Civil War origin behind the phrase "hold the fort," from General Sherman’s battle signals to popular gospel hymns.

Jane Alexander


The Survivor Tree at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in lower Manhattan, decorated with colorful hand-written messages from visitors.

Discovered beneath the rubble of Ground Zero, a severely damaged Callery pear tree survived 9/11. Discover the incredible story of the Survivor Tree's recovery, return to the Memorial, and living legacy.

Nitya Rao






















Modern Mercator projection map

The Mercator map, which most of us grew up with, makes Africa look smaller and Greenland much larger than they are—but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Eden Gordon