The Hoax That Led to the Word ‘Bigfoot’
When 16-inch-long tracks began popping up on northern California logging sites in 1958, workers dubbed the culprit ‘Big Foot’—but decades later, the whole thing was revealed to be a hoax.
When 16-inch-long tracks began popping up on northern California logging sites in 1958, workers dubbed the culprit ‘Big Foot’—but decades later, the whole thing was revealed to be a hoax.
Florida is known for its alligator sightings, weird crimes, and Disney World. But how much of what you think you know about the Sunshine State is true?
According to some strange old theories about the origins of birthmarks, a blemish on your behind meant you had the mark of the devil.
From beer floods to meat showers, history is full of peculiar—and putrid—disasters.
Nonce words are only meant to serve one particular purpose—here are some of the best examples.
Plagued by oral issues, the British prime minister carried two sets of dentures with him at all times.
From what inspired Candyman and the Mothman to the tales about alligators in the sewers and killers calling from inside the house, we're breaking down the origins of popular urban legends.
Modern technology has helped these dolls find their voices—and when they speak, it’s downright creepy.
Every U.S. state’s strangest Guinness World Record, from gargantuan salad fodder in Alaska to Wyoming’s longest beard chain.
Sasquatch sightings have been reported in every state but Hawaii over the course of several centuries. In the process, a number of bizarre theories have been put forth to explain how the mysterious beasts came to be—and how they manage to evade us.
Not every great invention was created according to plan. From penicillin to breakfast cereal to popsicles, these everyday items were all invented entirely by accident.
If you watched television in the 1990s, you probably saw an ad for a green blob that could teach you French.
The researchers analyzed search engines, search data, and social media in hopes of turning up evidence of time travelers.
In 1975, Bum Farto had it all. A dead body and a drug deal gone wrong changed everything.
Losing your nose ring in the shower is a bummer. It’s not an emergency.
From Celine Dion’s “erotic motorcycle” to the crafty female platypus who faked a pregnancy in order to bust out of the Bronx Zoo, 2023 was full of some pretty great stories.
Exolangs are constructed languages that imagine how the languages of extraterrestrial beings might look and sound—and linguists have come up with some pretty mind-bending options.
Once again, Mental Floss readers proved to be curious about all sorts of niche topics—and our editors and writers were happy to oblige their interests.
From a profane parrot to an exploding corpse to swapped (and dropped) bodies, the funerals on this list went terribly awry.
From murder mysteries to secret societies and more, the best dark academia novels from Donna Tartt and other authors capture the macabre in the most unlikely of places.
Lingonberry jam and cream sauce are included, naturally.
One scam was convincing enough to fool George Washington.
Snail mating involves “love darts.”
The battery-powdered purr machines are part of the library's collection of unusual items available for lending.