Mental Floss

NEWS



NASA officially prohibits alcohol aboard its missions, but that didn’t stop some American astronauts from enjoying a wee nip with their Russian colleagues.

Nick Keppler














A crowd of workers gathered at a May Day event in New York City, early 20th century.

May Day isn’t just for Maypole-dancing anymore. Here's how May 1 evolved from a pagan holiday to a communist day of remembrance.

Michele Debczak








Grab your magnifying glass.

We give you an obscure word with four definitions—one correct, three made up. Can you identify the correct one?

Ellen Gutoskey
There have been 23 Pope Johns, but only one Pope Francis.

For centuries, men assuming the top job in the Roman Catholic Church kept their birth names. That changed with Pope John II.

Paul Park