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Our 35 Most Popular Stories of 2018
By Alvin Ward
From understanding weird pet behaviors to learning the proper way to wipe your butt, our readers have a thirst for all sorts of knowledge. Fortunately, so do our editors and writers. For proof, look no further than our 35 most popular stories of 2018. In case you weren't obsessively refreshing the Mental Floss website all year, here's what you missed:
1.New Guidelines Redefine Birth Years for Millennials, Gen-X, and 'Post-Millennials', by Jay Serafino
2. The Mysterious Bronze Objects That Have Baffled Archaeologists for Centuries, by Tom Metcalfe
3. The Pasta Sauce Hailed as the World's Best Is Surprisingly Easy to Make at Home, by Shaunacy Ferro
4. The Fascinating Reason Why There Are No Mosquitoes at Disney World, by Madeline Raynor
5. The Best Way to Wipe Your Butt, According to the Experts, by Alvin Ward
6. The Real Reason Costco Employees Check Receipts at Exits, by Jake Rossen
7. Where Did the Ex-Confederate Leaders Go After the Confederacy Was Defeated by the Union?, by Jay Bazzinotti
8. The Key to Robert E. Lee's Puzzling Death Might Be Hidden in a Photo of His Earlobe, by Evan Lubofsky
9. 14 Haunting Facts About the Winchester Mystery House, by Kristy Puchko
10. Why Is the American Flag Displayed Backwards on Military Uniforms?, by Jake Rossen
11. George RR Martin Confirms Popular Fan Theory About Game of Thrones's White Walkers, by Mason Segall
12. This Beatles Poster Breaks Down the Instruments Played in Every Fab Four Song, by Madeline Raynor
13. How the World’s Only Feudal Lord Outclassed the Nazis to Save Her People, by Lucas Reilly
14. 15 of the Most Successful Products from Shark Tank, by Jake Rossen
15. How Much You Need to Make to Afford a Home in Each State, by Michele Debczak
16. Traumatic License: An Oral History of Action Park, by Jake Rossen
17. 12 Facts About the Penis, by Jordan Rosenfeld
18. The 10 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now, by Jake Rossen
19. 12 Facts About Evil Genius, Netflix’s Addictive New True Crime Series, by Jennifer M. Wood
20. 15 Old Things In Your House That Are Worth a Fortune, by Jay Serafino
21. The Surprising Reasons Your Dog Curls Up in a Ball Before Going to Sleep, by Natalie Zamora
22. The Easy Way to Reduce Robocalls on Your Smartphone, by Jake Rossen
23. 'Bizarre as Hell': The Disappearance of the Yuba County Five, by Jake Rossen
24. Authorities Have Cracked a Bizarre Cold Case That Could Have Ties to the Zodiac Killer, by Bess Lovejoy
25. The Best Scary Movies on Netflix Right Now, by Jake Rossen
26. These Are the World's 10 Most Expensive Cities, by Shaunacy Ferro
27. The Only Way to Answer ‘What Is Your Greatest Weakness?’ In a Job Interview, by Jake Rossen
28. We've All Been Threading Needles Wrong This Whole Time, by Michele Debczak
29. 15 EGOT Winners (and 20 Almost-EGOTS), by Jennifer M. Wood
30. Why You Should Stop Washing Your Clothes in Warm Water, by Shaunacy Ferro
31. The Quest to Break America’s Most Mysterious Code—And Find $60 Million in Buried Treasure, by Lucas Reilly
32. 10 Science-Backed Tips for Getting a Cat to Like You, by Mikel Delgado
33. The One Harry Potter Character JK Rowling Regrets Killing Off, by Natalie Zamora
34. Why You Sometimes See Black Tubes Stretched Across the Road, by Michele Debczak
35. 9 Bizarre Facts About Nicolas Cage, by Jake Rossen