Stacy Conradt

Joined: Nov 21, 2012

Stacy Conradt has been contributing to Mental Floss since 2008. As an avid board game lover, she is especially fond of her work on Split Decision and Mixed Nuts. In her spare time (ha) she likes to run badly and visit roadside attractions that make most people cringe. She never met an Abe Lincoln tribute she didn't love. If you have one to suggest, let her know at twitter.com/stacy_writes.

‘A Visit from St. Nicholas’ was the first poem to names Santa’s reindeer.

The Mysterious Origins of the World’s Most Famous Christmas Poem

Don't believe everything you've been told about lightning.

Wild Misconceptions About Weather

14 Archaic Christmas Carol Words, Explained

See that crispy texture? That’s the Maillard Reaction.

Why Do We Cook So Many Foods at 350 Degrees?

Peter Billingsley in A Christmas Story (1983).

12 Festive Facts About ‘A Christmas Story’

The holiday classic—which could have starred Jack Nicholson as The Old Man Parker—has cemented its legacy as a Christmas classic.

This scene depicts several Christmas traditions with long histories.

The Origins of 12 Christmas Traditions

From expecting Santa to fill socks with gifts to eating cake that looks like tree bark, some holiday traditions are downright odd. But we can explain!

35 Celebrities Who Served in the Military

You probably didn’t know about a few of these celebrity veterans who served the red, white, and blue.

10 Famous Uses of the Ouija Board

Sylvia Plath often broke out her Ouija Board to speak to her spirit guide, Pan.

Elizabeth Taylor, Bela Lugosi, and Bob Marley were buried with some of their most treasured possessions.

The Objects 10 Celebrities Took to the Grave

Favorite alcoholic beverages, signature accessories, and reading material are a few of the items that these artists took with them to the afterlife.

The Time Wes Craven Called Out a High School in the ‘Scream’ Credits

Wes Craven’s meta-horror film spawned a handful of sequels—and a possible backlash against one California community.

How 8 Iconic Horror Movie Villains Were Created

When you know what goes into making them—ping pongs, for example—even the most frightening horror movie monsters become less scary.

Friends consult a Ouija board during a séance.

8 Notorious Séances Involving Celebrities

Harry Houdini and Princess Diana are just a few of the spirits that mediums have tried to contact over the years.

A ‘witch’ grave makes a cemetery even spookier.

The Stories Behind 8 ‘Witch’ Graves

When these supposed spell-casters died, the stories about them lived on.

Portraits of John Quincy Adams (left) and Andrew Jackson (right)

The Time Andrew Jackson Won the Vote But Lost the Presidency

In 1824, Jackson both won the popular vote and got the most votes in the electoral college, but lost the election anyway.

That little pocket was originally intended to hold something else.

The Forgotten Uses of 9 Everyday Objects

The tiny little pocket on your jeans, the hole in your pot handle, and the drawer under your oven were designed with specific purposes in mind.

Abraham Lincoln just after uttering his last words.

The Last Words and Final Moments of 39 U.S. Presidents

Some presidents’ last words have been profound (“This is the last of earth; I am content”) and others have been merely practical (“Help!”).