FACTS

Before the measles vaccine, there were between 3 and 4 million cases in the U.S. per year. Now, it’s less than 500.

The seven-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind M*A*S*H and Gosford Park, who would have turned 100 this year, changed how we watch—and hear—movies. He also tattooed Harry S. Truman’s dog.

‘The Gashlycrumb Tinies’ author was born 100 years ago on February 22—here’s what you need to know about him, from what classic book he found boring to how much he really helped with PBS’s show ‘Mystery!’

He wrote the book partially in response to European writers like Joseph Conrad, who Achebe said depicted Africa “as ‘the other world,’ the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization.”

From January 27, 1925 until February 2, 20 mushers and 150 dogs heroically transported desperately needed diphtheria antitoxin to the remote town of Nome, Alaska, saving countless lives in the process. But the event wasn’t without controversy.

Let’s celebrate another year in the books with a look back at how our knowledge grew over the past 12 months.

The performer, who is currently playing Armstrong on Broadway in ‘A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical,’ dropped by the Mental Floss studios to walk us through some fascinating details about Armstrong’s life.

Here’s how Jesmyn Ward’s award-winning novel about Hurricane Katrina came to be.

Author A.J. Jacobs spent a year living like a Founding Father to better understand the U.S. Constitution. Here’s what he learned.

To rock snobs, art-school students, and dads everywhere, the Velvet Underground are the cornerstone of rock and roll. Here are 11 facts on their background and influence.

He got the idea from a story his wife told him while they were visiting her parents: “I joked, ‘This would be good for a novel. I am going to write a novel based on this.’ ”

No, he wasn’t the Gerber baby, but he did serve as a model for another brand of baby food—and 19 other facts you need to know about this Hollywood heavyweight.