Katherine Swynford and the Illicit Affair That Birthed Centuries’ Worth of British Monarchs
Katherine Swynford played the long game with John of Gaunt … and won.
Katherine Swynford played the long game with John of Gaunt … and won.
The menu is a restaurant staple nowadays, but they haven't always been a part of dining out. From the Song dynasty in China to the first inns and taverns of France, the path toward the humble menu is a long and winding journey.
Sampson's confession played a central role in the North Berwick witch trials of the 1590s, entangling her with the ambitions of the Scottish king.
The Swedish Academy has been awarding Nobel Prizes in Literature since 1901; here are a few laureates whose books you might want to consider picking up.
The queen has achieved legendary status more than two millennia after her death—which, contrary to rumor, may not have been caused by the bite of an asp.
In the 1980s, Detroit pranksters celebrated the night before Halloween by trying to burn the city to ashes.
When it comes to pure terror fuel in prose form, Stephen King has got nothing on Mother Goose. Some have speculated that these nursery rhymes have roots in Viking rampages and plagues.
“I’m sick and tired of hearing that ‘Cheryl was no lady as she devastated such and such a town,’” Roxcy Bolton said. She wasn't alone in her exasperation.
If you can only name one Egyptian pharaoh, it’s likely King Tut. Tutankhamun made history as the youngest known monarch to preside over the ancient Egyptian empire—but that wasn’t his only claim to fame.
King Tut’s excavation, legacy, and life remain far from settled.
'Nosferatu' was not the first vampire film, but it is (arguably) the oldest surviving one. Which is ironic because someone was actively trying to kill it.
The actress—the first Asian American performer to receive top billing in a Hollywood film—is now pioneering change in a different way.
Long before Musk, Zuck, and Bezos, Andrew Carnegie was one of the richest men in the world. But unlike his modern-day peers, Carnegie dedicated much of his life to getting rid of as much of his wealth as possible.
The acclaimed poet and notorious occultist were at odds, so they decided to resolve it the old-fashioned way: by having a magic duel.
Following the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, two scholars battled each other to decipher the mysterious Egyptian writing system.
From the World War II engagement that helped instigate a medical breakthrough to the devastating attack that indirectly contributed to the Renaissance, these battles altered the course of history.
When is losing together more fun than winning by yourself? In this premiere episode of Mental Floss’s new series, The History of Fun, we look for an answer.
'Dictionary of the English Language,' published in 1755, remained the foremost dictionary of British English until the early 1900s when the very first installments of the Oxford English Dictionary began to appear.
Before the artist created ‘The Starry Night,’ he dedicated himself to the surreal and beautiful wonder of ‘Sunflowers.’
The story of the OED’s most prolific contributor, a sex-addicted murderer who lived in an insane asylum.
Abraham Lincoln briefly considered going with them.
Noah Webster—who was born on October 16, 1758—compiled America’s most influential dictionary, Americanized our English, essentially founded the publishing industry, and was a pioneer in epidemiology. Here's what you should know about Webster.
In centuries past, mummies were put to a variety of inventive uses: art, commerce, science, entertainment, and possibly even paper making.
History's most famous child ruler was also the result of inbreeding, which sure didn't help his longevity much.