HISTORY

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.

‘Nosferatu’ was not the first vampire film, but it is (arguably) the oldest surviving one. Discover more about the legal battle that almost put this classic vampire flick in an early grave.

Cultures around the world performed rituals on the winter solstice for the return of the sun. While some of these celebrations have been left in the past or absorbed into other winter festivities, others are still celebrated to this day.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in at least three cases on a person’s right to refuse a presidential pardon.

In 1936, someone got bragging rights to having the lowest possible Social Security Number—but only after several others turned it down.

From the world’s tallest peaks to its deepest lakes and beyond

It’s often said the dreidel was a way Jewish people communicated their faith during ancient times of oppression. But the Hanukkah game is actually a lot more recent.

When you’ve been celebrating a holiday one way your entire life, it’s easy to assume that’s the way it’s celebrated everywhere—but things are a bit different across the pond.

Figgy pudding might be a fixture in Christmas carol lyrics, but you've probably never seen it in person. So just what is this British dish we've been singing about for all these years?

Cut through the half-truths and urban legends to find out more about Friday the 13th, allegedly the unluckiest day on the calendar.

The Shanghai Museum‘s “Meowseum Nights” allowed cats to witness their history.

Most iterations of Jack Frost see him clad in icy blue and white, and as well as being responsible for nose-nipping, he’s also credited with creating frost. But where exactly did this mythical cold-weather figure originate?