THE MAGAZINE

One of the scenes from the famous Unicorn Tapestries.

10 Fantastical Facts About Unicorns

Just because unicorns are mythical doesn’t mean they haven’t had a real impact on history. Just ask a narwhal!

6 Beachy Facts to Take to the Shore

Heading for the coast this weekend? Be the talk of the sand dunes with these facts.

5 Legendary Art Trials

Taking masterpieces to court is a tradition as old as the legal system. So is letting them off the hook.

10 Contestants for Earth's Next Superpower

These nations have been dismissed as underdogs and weaklings. But like budding superheroes, they’ve been sitting on hidden talents. And now they’re about to fly.

16 Amazing Stories About Trees

In honor of Arbor Day, we bring you lifesaving wood, the truth about cork, and a refuge for swamped spiders.

16 Obviously Insane Things We’ll Never Do Again

We asked 16 of our favorite artists, authors, and astronauts to tell us about something terrifying and thrilling that they’d never do again. Here's what they learned.

Facebook.com/Gertrude-Chandler-Warner-Boxcar-Children-Museum

4 Gertrudes Who Changed the World

The name Gertrude sounds hard—and that’s intentional. It comes from the Germanic roots ger (“spear”) and þruþ (“strength”). No wonder ladies with the moniker are brutish, unapologetic enforcers! The next time you’re going into battle, make sure you have o

3 Artists Who Were Really Bad at Their Art

Critics mocked. Audiences jeered. Yet these three artists still found fame.

National Gallery of Art, Gallery Archives

How a Working-Class Couple Amassed a Priceless Art Collection

Herb Vogel never earned more than $23,000 a year. He spent nearly 50 years in a one-bedroom apartment with his wife. They had just one indulgence: art.

The Feminine Mystique

Before Betty Friedan could escape her marriage, she had to start a revolution.

FDR's Weather Machine

Franklin Roosevelt wasn’t a president who took climate change lightly. Just look at his answer to the Dust Bowl—the series of massive dust storms that ravaged the American heartland in the early 1930s.

Inside the World's Only Wildlife Forensics Lab

There’s only one lab equipped to handle crimes against nature. (Just don’t ask the scientists to find Bigfoot.)

In Washington, D.C., Peggielene Bartels is a Secretary. In Ghana, She's a King.

by Phoebe ConnellyPeggielene Bartels was a secretary until a 4 a.m. phone call turned her into

Octopi: The New Kings of Disguise

by Ed

Exploring the Darkest Corridors of the Internet

In a place where no one shows his face and no one plays by the rules, how do you tell where the game ends and reality begins?

The Time Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football

After 18 players died on the field, the president decided it was time to change the game.

The glass of beer on a wooden table in a cafe.

Scientific Reasons to Respect Light Beer

Light beer may be easy to drink, but it's hard to make. Here's why the weakest brews deserve more applause.

Bill Cosby's To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With

This story was written by Adam Frucci and originally appeared in mental_floss magazine as part of our 101 Masterpieces series. Download our new iPad app and get a free

The 25 Most Powerful TV Shows of the Last 25 Years

TV doesn’t get much respect. It rots your brain and grows couch potatoes. But the so-called idiot box also swings elections, rewires brains, snares criminals, and even sways the Supreme Court. The following may not be the best shows of the last 25 years—i

The Sad Story of Alfred Nobel

Despite being one of the richest people in Europe, Alfred Nobel was not a happy man. The Swedish industrialist made his fortune by inventing (and later producing) dynamite. But his work made him a recluse. He spent most of his life traveling to oversee hi

Adams vs. Jefferson: The Birth of Negative Campaigning in the U.S.

Back in 1776, the dynamic duo had nothing but love and respect for one another. But by 1800, everything had changed.

Whiskey Business: The Many Myths of Jack Daniel

by Eric Furman In Lynchburg, Tennessee, tales of Jack Daniel are taller than Paul Bunyan on a step stool. The question is, are any of them

When Political Conventions Go Wild: 4 Knock-Down, Drag-Out Convention Floor Fights

by Brendan Spiegel 1. The Convention Turned

How Nixon's Trip to China Inspired a Great American Opera

by Seth Colter Walls Just 13 years after President Richard Nixon’s resignation, a heroic opera about him seemed like a sure flop. Today, it’s part of the global

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