Whether because of abundant food or lack of exercise, historical monarchs have been plagued with largeness of girth (a true hardship). Here are just a few of the largest kings and queens on record. 1. Itey (ca. 1490 BCE) Sort of an ancient Egyptian punch line, this corpulent queen ruled over the mysterious land of Punt, located somewhere in East Africa. So how exactly do we know of the great monarch's girth? Well, the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut launched a trade delegation to Punt, and carvings on... READ ON
Accusing someone of illegitimate birth has long been one of the greatest insults possible, so it's not at all surprising that some of history's greatest shoulder- mounted chips have been securely fastened to people with murky parentage. In fact, by the look of the names on this list, it just might be a recipe for success. 1. Confucius (ca. 551"“479... READ ON
After a busy day of oppressing your own people, murdering your enemies, and conquering foreign lands, sometimes a workaholic dictator just needs to treat himself to a little pick-me-up. These were four guys happy to do just that. 1. Napoléon: Keeping It Short and... READ ON
The disinhibiting and pain-numbing effects of drugs make them perfect for turning people into killing machines. In fact, criminals on PCP have been reported to withstand multiple shocks with Taser guns, pepper spray, and Mace, and even direct gunshot wounds to the chest, without slowing down. It's no wonder that so many generals have relied on drugs to bring out the so-called best in unwitting soldiers. 1. Nazi Shock... READ ON
In case you weren't glued to this site all week, consider this your make-up class. Here's a look back at some of the wonderful topics we've recently covered: "¢ 7 Pampered Celebrities and their Ridiculous Pre-show Demands "¢ Manly Ways to Prepare Turkey "¢ 7 Insane Food Competitions "¢ Famous Last Words: The Animated Musical "¢ When Sitcom Stars Start Expecting "¢ Stuff You Don't Know About Writers You Might "¢ The Monster of the Andes, The Meanest... READ ON
Get excited... It's time for a T-shirt sale! All you have to do is enter the word "shirt" into the discount code, and you'll get 10% off any clever shirt you order. Oh, and be sure to check out the women's cuts... READ ON
The Nathan's Hot Dog"“Eating Contest is only the most famous of all eating contests. And the ones on Fear Factor are only the most contrived. But if you're looking for a lesser-known chow challenge to show off your plate-cleaning prowess, these gastronomic free-for-alls might be just the place to start. 1. Matzo... READ ON
Everyone knows rock and roll is about thrills and excess—we just didn't realize that spirit was supposed to extend to the greenroom buffet. The following are seven very pampered acts that made sure their laundry list of demands got tacked onto their contracts. 1. Van Halen and the Whole M&M's... READ ON
Last week, we discussed notable strikes in American history. Today's topic: notable TV writers. The idea came from newcomer Matthew Smith, who collaborated with mental_floss veterans Stacy, David, Becky and Kara to dig up stories about some of TV's greatest scribes. 1. J.J. Abrams J.J. Abrams, who is the co-creator, writer, director and executive producer of Lost, has written for some very-unLost-like movies including Armageddon, Taking Care of Business and Forever Young. He also created and wrote for... READ ON
Update: We have a winner... Today's topic is business. Mangesh has drawn one company's logo on our whiteboard. How prescient are you? The first person to correctly guess wins a free mental_floss t-shirt. Let's go over the rules... 1) This is a complete game of chance, the equivalent of saying "We chose a number between 1 and 1,000,000. Guess." But simply drawing a number would be an insult to Mangesh and his artistic integrity. Today, you're guessing a company. Any... READ ON
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Fatherly Advice
5 Questions: Nervous "Rex"
How Many Vice Presidents Can You Name in 10 Minutes?
Fredric Baur invented the Pringles can. When he died in 2008, his ashes were buried in one.
