Mental Floss
Mental Floss

LISTS

Pripyat, part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

These Atomic Age sites—some of which are still dangerously radioactive—are a somber reminder of the dark shadow the threat of nuclear war cast on the world.

Lorna Wallace
(L-R) Javier Bardem, Meryl Streep, and Jared Leto: not fans of their own movies.

Seeing yourself projected on a 40-foot-tall screen can be kind of awkward, even if you’re a celebrity. At least that’s the case for these 15 actors, all of whom prefer to stay far, far away from their own work.

Rebecca Pahle
American servicemen and women in Paris celebrate on V-J Day, marking the end of World War II.

Savage battles, atomic bombs, and shark attacks were just some of the events leading up to the end of World War II in August 1945. Here's a look back on its 80th anniversary.

Mark Mancini
The toy aisle looked pretty different in the mid-20th century.

From a dollhouse with a nuclear bunker to an atomic energy lab with real uranium, some of these toys from the ‘50s and ‘60s have us scratching our heads.

Kaeli Conforti
Think every food can go in the freezer? Think again.

Thought your freezer was a go-to space for storing any and all kinds of food? Think again—here are some of the most common foods that you should never stick in the freezer at all.

Rudie Obias
Can you spot the famous solo artist in this picture?

Michael Bolton, Cyndi Lauper, and Tori Amos are all more famous as solo stars these days—but they’re just some of the musicians who also spent time in bigger bands.

Jon O'Brien
Bill Paxton, Tom Hanks, and Kevin Bacon star in ‘Apollo 13’ (1995).

'Apollo 13'—the dramatization of the 1970 space program crisis that kept the world on its seat—was the third highest-grossing film of 1995, and remains one of the most faithful depictions of NASA operations ever put on film.

Jake Rossen
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