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How Did Casper the Friendly Ghost Die?
The genial ghost has been trying to make friends with the living since 1945. But did he once walk among them as a real boy?
POP CULTURE
10 Surprising Facts About Serendipity
'Serendipity,' which features John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale as star-crossed lovers who meet once in New York City then reconnect a few years later through a series of events, has become a holiday staple for rom-com fans.
The Far Side Is Officially Online—And New Art Is Coming
The irreverent single-panel strip that practically lived on refrigerator doors in the 1980s and 1990s is back.
Our 35 Most Popular Stories of 2019
Mental Floss readers are a curious bunch, as evidenced by their favorite stories of 2019—which covered everything from how much those Beanie Babies gathering dust in your attic might be worth to the life of Rosa Parks.
Paul Reubens Is Taking Pee-wee’s Big Adventure on Tour for Its 35th Anniversary
Attention, Pee-wee Herman fans: Now's your chance to see a screening of 'Pee-wee’s Big Adventure' with a Q&A session by Paul Reubens.
8 Surprising Facts About 'Let It Snow'
"Let It Snow" was written in Southern California during a heatwave. Here are some more facts about the honorary holiday song.
The 10 Most Popular Cat Names of 2019
Americans love cats: There are an estimated 94 million of them living in households nationwide. And it turns out that a lot of them are named Luna.
Tennessee Politician Wants to Replace State Capitol Statue of Confederate General With Dolly Parton
Tennessee native Dolly Parton is a universally beloved country music legend. Nathan Bedford Forrest is not.
The 40 Best Christmas Television Episodes
There's something oddly comforting about watching your favorite television characters navigate the stress—and joys—of the holiday season. Here are some of our very favorite holiday-themed TV episodes.
Christopher Reeve's Superman Cape Sold for a Record $193,750
The red cape worn by Reeve in 1978's 'Superman: The Movie' broke a memorabilia record this week. Its original owner won it in a contest and paid only the price of a postcard.
Wham!’s Iconic 'Last Christmas' Video Has Been Re-Released in Glorious 4K
Whether you know all the 'Last Christmas' lyrics or avoid the song at all costs, it’s worth seeing George Michael’s hair in 4K glory.
The One Thing Director Richard Curtis Would Change About Love Actually Today
It might be what’s keeping the star-studded Christmas classic ‘Love Actually’ from being your family’s annual holiday movie...
We Would Cross the Galaxy For These Baby Yoda Overalls
The Child—a.k.a. Baby Yoda—from 'The Mandalorian' finally has some merchandise that lives up to his adorable reputation.
How Much Would It Cost to Insure Star Wars’s Millennium Falcon?
Star Wars’s Han Solo got a good deal on the Millennium Falcon—unless you take the ship’s high insurance costs into consideration.
The Many Lives of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"
In the 35 years since its release, Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" has been covered by more than 300 artists in a variety of genres and become a staple of TV singing shows. Not bad for a song that Cohen's own record label hated.
When Pokémon Sent Hundreds of Viewers to the Hospital
In 1997, an episode of the 'Pokémon' animated series used a strobe-light effect during a battle sequence. Hundreds of viewers in Japan suffered seizures and other symptoms. More than two decades later, no one is exactly sure why.
10 Christmasy Movies That Might Not Be "Christmas Movies"
If ‘Die Hard’ has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes the best Christmas movies aren’t necessarily even Christmas movies.
Why Does Santa Claus Live at the North Pole?
Political cartoonist Thomas Nast came up with his own answer to the “Where does Santa live?” question ... and it stuck.
Every New Movie, TV Series, Documentary, and Special Coming to Netflix in January 2020
The new year will bring a host of new movies and series—plus new seasons of shows you already love—to Netflix. Here's every new title making its way to Netflix in January.
12 Things We Know (So Far) About Baby Yoda, the Breakout Star of The Mandalorian
The irresistibly precocious Star Wars puppet has taken the internet by storm. After two seasons of 'The Mandalorian,' here's what we know, and what we don't.
The Definitive Guide to All the Cats in Cats
All you need to know about the ‘Cats’ movie’s cast of characters, from Taylor Swift’s Bombalurina to James Corden’s Bustopher Jones.
Star Wars Fan Re-Edits The Mandalorian Into a 1980s Sitcom
At its heart, 'The Mandalorian' is really a show about an overworked dad learning to bond with his small green son. A new fan edit gives the Star Wars series the sitcom treatment it deserves.
Someone Calculated the Total Damage The Wet Bandits Caused in Home Alone
Kevin McCallister, mad genius though he is, was not thinking about property values during the Christmas holiday he spent alone at home.
8 of the Most Valuable Hess Trucks
Every holiday season, Hess rolls out a new collectible Hess truck. Take a look at some of the rarest and most valuable Hess truck models that might be idling in your storage area.