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A Brief History of Dry January

Participating in Dry January means that no booze at all is to pass your lips for the entire calendar month of January. Here's how it started.

Barbie and Ken are just two members of the Barbie bunch.

Our 26 Favorite Stories of 2023

From Celine Dion’s “erotic motorcycle” to the crafty female platypus who faked a pregnancy in order to bust out of the Bronx Zoo, 2023 was full of some pretty great stories.

Rihanna, David Bowie, and Bjork have all had their names mispronounced—frequently.

14 Musician and Band Names You've Probably Been Mispronouncing All Along

From pronouncing the name of one of the Beastie Boys to how to say “Sade” correctly, here are a few tips for your tongue.

What’s the Kennection? #94

All five answers to the questions below have something in common. Can you figure it out?

How to See the International Space Station From Where You Live

The ISS orbits Earth once every 90 minutes, giving sky-gazers plenty of chances to see it.

A detail of ‘Green River Cliffs, Wyoming, 1881’ by Thomas Moran

11 Amazing Facts About the Louisiana Purchase

Napoleon needed cash fast, so he made the U.S. an offer it couldn’t refuse.

Searching for ideas on what to spend your FSA funds on this year? Consider these.

14 Creative Ways to Spend Your FSA Money Before the Deadline

Unsure how to spend your FSA money? From new glasses to over-the-counter (OTC) medication, here are some health products you can purchase using FSA funds.

He's counting down the minutes until the fireworks end.

How to Protect Pets From Fireworks Stress

Your fluffy pals need special attention during holiday celebrations. Here's what you can do to help manage their stress.

Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?

Ever wonder why the new year officially starts on January 1? Turns out, you can thank Pope Gregory XIII—and Julius Caesar.

Cooking kids was not a tradition (but sending strange cards was).

11 Unusual Victorian New Year's Traditions

For many Victorians, parties, dancing, and festive spirits were staples of New Year’s celebrations. Yet there were many other odd, quaint, and charming customs that for the most part are no longer with us.

Illustration to Robert Burns' poem "Auld Lang Syne" by J.M. Wright and Edward Scriven.

A Brief History of “Auld Lang Syne”

On New Year’s Eve, after the ball has dropped, revelers queue up "Auld Lang Syne"—that song that makes you cry, even though you don’t understand it and know almost none of the words.

Times Square New Year's Eve 2023 celebration.

A Brief History of Times Square’s New Year’s Eve Celebration

New Year’s Eve in Times Square is one of the most famous traditions in New York City. Learn how Manhattan's most colorful party came to be.

‘Red Nails’: The Violent Animated Conan Movie That Was Never Finished

A bloody take on the Conan legend was announced in 2005—and then all but vanished.

The cover of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men.’

13 Things You Might Not Have Known About John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’

Here are a few things about this iconic piece of literature that might not have been covered in your high school English class.

Watch the Beauty and Chaos of the World’s Largest Snowball Fight

The event tried to set a Guinness World Record for epic snowball fights.

Why Do We ‘Ring In’ the New Year?

The meaning of ‘ring in the New Year’ is now mostly metaphorical, but it used to involve literal ringing.

6 Strange “Alien” Languages Created by Linguists

Exolangs are constructed languages that imagine how the languages of extraterrestrial beings might look and sound—and linguists have come up with some pretty mind-bending options.

Yes, Cats Will Play Fetch, Too—But Only If They Feel Like It

Toss some crumpled paper and maybe, if you're lucky, the cat will consider going to get it. Maybe.

8 Sparkling Facts About Champagne

As midnight approaches on December 31, more than a few of us will pop open a bottle or two of champagne to help ring in the New Year. Here are a few nuggets you can share with fellow revelers.

Here’s how to stop those post-shower sweats.

The Reason You Sweat After a Shower—and How to Stop It

Breaking out in a sweat after you take a hot shower is normal, but there are steps you can take to prevent it.

Sploot 101: 13 Animal Slang Words Every Pet Parent Should Know

The internet has given us all kinds of delightful slang terms for what our cats and dogs do, from ‘blep’ and ‘bork’ to ‘smol’ and ‘sploot.’

Sorry, Web Scholars: Reading Print Is Better for Comprehension

A meta-analysis found a greatly reduced level of information retention when people got their data from screens instead of physical books.

Bessie Coleman, David Bowie, and Martin Luther King Jr. all have January birthdays.

10 Famous Birthdays to Celebrate in January

Some of our favorite figures from history, literature, music, pop culture, and more were born in the first month of the year. Do you share a birthday with one of these famous folks?

Let’s dive into the delicious history of the dumpling.

An International History of Dumplings

Dumplings are a delicious staple that transcends borders, but how did these doughy delights rise to international fame?

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