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The unofficial—but widely known—fashion rule can be traced back more than 100 years to some snobby millionaires.

The celebrated children’s host aired segments in 1983 that demonstrated the perils of nuclear war in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Jake Rossen|
The ♂and ♀ symbols initially had nothing to do with representing human sex or gender.
Sam Hindman|
Even non-metal fans know the look: the pinky and pointer finger stretch upwards while the thumb holds down the non-participating index and middle fingers. But where did “devil horns” actually come from?
Chason Gordon|

Government and Politics

The CIA's encrypted art sculpture has puzzled cryptographers for decades. The man with the answers is finally ready to clue them in.
Jake Rossen|
Fears of nuclear war led to a fleeting craze for fallout shelters stocked with crackers, body bags, and guns.
Jake Rossen|
Tens of thousands of fallout shelter signs, with three yellow triangles in a black circle, are visible on building façades today. They serve as grim reminders of the hottest flashes of the Cold War. So why are they still around?
Tim Brinkhof|
You never want to butt-dial the cops by mistake. But if you do, here’s what happens next.
Jake Rossen|
Residents of Washington, D.C., have no governor, no voting representation in Congress, and only limited local authority. The reason is simple: D.C. isn’t a state. Let’s break down the history and future of D.C. statehood.
Zoë Randolph|
A number of states entered the union with different capital cities. How many of them do you know?
mentalfloss .com|
When John Adams penned a letter to future first lady Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, he guessed how future generations of Americans would celebrate Independence Day with remarkable accuracy—but he got the date wrong.
Erik van Rheenen|
Inside the complicated compromise that created the District of Columbia and the City of Washington—which are kind of the same thing.
Tim Brinkhof|

Presidents

It’s easy to name the state most associated with a president, but can you name his actual birthplace?
Kat Long|
John Humphrey Noyes wanted to build a heaven on Earth—but for Charles Guiteau, life at the Oneida Community was a living hell.
Erin McCarthy|
The 18th president’s descendant had a storied career in museum curation before turning his attention to an affable vampire.
Jake Rossen|

War

According to a new archaeological study of human bones showing evidence of violent “overkill,” war was hell even in the late Stone Age.

Mystery

The medieval hero known as Wade was thought to have encountered elves in his adventures. But they might have been wolves instead.
Ellen Gutoskey|
From the Bermuda Triangle to the ‘Mary Celeste,’ here are some of the most puzzling enigmas of the deep.
Claire Cock-Starkey|
Delve into the mystery surrounding the assassination of Grigori Rasputin, and see how the circumstances of his death have taken on a life of their own.
Andrew Lenoir|
For the past century, the quest to break the Beale Ciphers has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.
Lucas Reilly|

Misconceptions

The idea that older people need less sleep is just one common misconception.
mentalfloss .com|
If you’ve ever caught yourself sympathizing with ChatGPT, you may have fallen for one of these common misconceptions about AI.
Bethel Afful|
Both the Arctic and Antarctica are cold and icy, but that’s basically where the similarities end. 
Bethel Afful|
Hearing NFTs explained as “non-fungible tokens” only makes sense if you already know what ‘fungible’ means.
Jason Serafino|
Should you be worried about animal attacks when you’re menstruating?
mentalfloss .com|

Royalty

Royals from Queen Victoria to Princess Diana have left their mark on the world of fashion.
Colin Scanlon|
It all began in 1952 when then-Princess Elizabeth was caught without a black outfit when the circumstances called for one.
Ellen Gutoskey|
Over the past 900-plus years, more than 30 monarchs have called Windsor Castle home. It has also been the site of several royal weddings—including Prince Harry's 2018 nuptials to Meghan Markle.
Lucas Reilly|

Civil Rights

William Shatner’s lip lock with Nichelle Nichols wasn't TV’s first interracial kiss, but it might have been the most controversial.
hourglass in yellow

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