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12 Masterful Facts About Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo was a polymath, and the very definition of a Renaissance man. He also had beef with Michelangelo.

Laura de Force Gordon (center) and Susan B. Anthony being escorted to the stage.

Laura de Force Gordon, Pioneering Newspaper Publisher, Lawyer, and Suffragist

When she didn't like how men covered her campaign for Senate, she started her own paper.

Wellcome Collection // CC BY 4.0 (cropped)

Sushruta, Ancient Indian Surgeon and Father of the Nose Job

He was practicing plastic surgery thousands of years before European surgeons were even washing their hands.

Joan of Arc as painted by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres

The Medieval Woman Who Made a Living Pretending to be Joan of Arc

Claude des Armoises earned cash and gifts while fooling the King of France himself—until it all came crashing down.

Emperor penguin parents are very devoted to their chicks.

11 Awesome Animal Kingdom Moms

Mother’s Day might sound human-centric, but there are plenty of moms out in the wild who exhibit excellent parenting skills.

10 Letters That Didn't Make the Alphabet

There are quite a few letters we tossed aside as our language grew, and you probably never even knew they existed.

What Are Bacon Bits Made Of?

Some so-called bacon bits are 100-percent vegan. Here's what really goes into the shelf-stable convenience food item.

See How CNN Reported on the Internet in 1993

Some predictions CNN shared about the internet in 1993 turned out to be fairly accurate (and others less so).

Ajwad Creative (speech bubble), AndreyPopov (marker) // iStock via Getty Images Plus

13 Fascinating and Funny English Language Mistakes

From memorable misprints to fake words to eggcorns to phrases you might be mispronouncing, here are 13 English language mistakes you should know.

Rita Mae Brown at the Lambda Literary Awards in New York City in 2015.

7 Fascinating Facts About Rita Mae Brown

Rita Mae Brown wasn’t even 30 when her debut novel, 'Rubyfruit Jungle,' was published, but she had already made her mark in the realm of feminist and LGBTQ activism. Here’s what you should know.

Could Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons be riding their way to Oscar glory in Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog (2021)?

Here's Where to Stream 34 of This Year's Oscar-Nominated Movies Online

Learn where you can stream 'The Power of the Dog' and dozens of other Academy Award-nominated movies before Oscar night.

The Blue Whale Can Weigh Up to 330,000 Pounds—And Has the Biggest Penis in the Animal Kingdom

The sexual organ of the majestic blue whale is so impressive that some speculate it's been mistaken for sea monsters.

The Rundown on Alexander Hamilton's 8 Children

Between the Revolutionary War, the fight over the Constitution, and his infamous deadly duel with Aaron Burr, Hamilton found time to father eight children with his wife Eliza.

It doesn't matter if you're wearing your shoes or someone else's—but it does matter how tall you are.

How Many Steps Are in a Mile?

How many steps it takes to walk a mile depends on your height and speed—but there is an average number.

Why Are So Many Pop Songs Roughly Three Minutes Long?

The roughly three-minute limit dates back to the early 20th century—but the digital music landscape is affecting the custom.

Buster Keaton in a promotional still for 'The Cameraman.'

See How Special Effects Were Done in the Silent Film Era

A century ago, silent movies directors came up with creative ways to capture special effects on camera.

Truman Capote in 1966 (left) and Robert Frost in 1957 (right).

How Robert Frost Killed Truman Capote’s Copyboy Career at The New Yorker

Thanks to the flu, a mosquito bite, or both, Truman Capote accidentally ticked off Robert Frost—and lost his job for it.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Joe Cole in Against the Ice.

The Harrowing Arctic Survival Story Behind Netflix's Against the Ice

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is bringing Ejnar Mikkelsen’s death-defying Arctic expedition to the big screen. Here’s the history behind it.

Agent 355: The American Revolution’s Most Mysterious Female Spy

The spy thriller 'The 355' gets its title from a Culper Spy Ring agent known only as “355.” Who was she?

Elmo went before Congress to make a case for music education.

Mr. Monster Goes to Washington: When Elmo Testified in Front of Congress

The beloved 'Sesame Street' star went to Capitol Hill 20 years ago and became the first non-human to ever testify in front of Congress.

Al Capone: Public Enemy #1, soup kitchen proprietor

When Al Capone Ran a Soup Kitchen During the Great Depression

During the Great Depression, 50 percent of Chicago's workforce was out of a job. Al Capone, the city's bloodthirstiest gangster, stepped in feed the hungry.

"Power my horseless carriage with water? The hell you say!"

Fuel's Errand: Louis Enricht and the Great Gasoline Hoax of 1916

With one drop of his mysterious green liquid, Louis Enricht claimed he could turn water into nearly-free fuel. He was a dirty liar.

Why Do We Call the NCAA Basketball Tournament 'March Madness'?

The story of March Madness has everything: Chaucer, sex-crazed hares, Alice in Wonderland, lawsuits, and a basketball coach-turned-poet from Illinois.

15 Mysterious Facts About Yetis

They've been spotted all over the Himalaya, yet no one has ever captured living proof of a yeti. Here are a few fascinating facts about this furry, mountain-dwelling cryptid.

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