Mental Floss

WAR

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The Origin Story of the Ballpoint Pen

Hungarian brothers László and György Bíró are credited with inventing the pen we still use today.

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11 Amazing Facts About CIA Operations in the Soviet Union

In his engrossing new book, The Billion Dollar Spy, David E. Hoffman takes readers into the CIA’s Moscow station during the Cold War, telling the astonishing story of how spies recruited agents, and what happened when things went wrong.

Bryan Resigns Amid Neutrality Controversy

WWI Centennial: New Allied Attack at Gallipoli

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4 Surprising Places the U.S. Planned to Invade

Historically, the United States has planned to go to war with just about everyone. Here are a few of the more bizarre plans, from history and today.

Young Turks Issue Deportation Decree

Erik Sass is covering the events of World War I exactly 100 years later.

Italy Declares War on Austria-Hungary

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Second Battle of Artois

Lusitania Sunk, Breakthrough on Eastern Front

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9 Ways The Art of War Conquered the World

Everyone from New England Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick to Tupac Shakur has supposedly read the 2500-year-old text’s 13 chapters on the 13 aspects of warfare.

WWI Centennial: Gallipoli

WWI Centennial: Gas Attack at Ypres

British Defeat Turks at Shaiba

We're covering the events of World War I exactly 100 years later.

Fall of the South: Lee Surrenders

We're covering the final days of the Civil War exactly 150 years later.

Armenian Persecution Mounts

St. Mihiel Offensive

Fall of Przemyśl

Disaster at the Dardanelles

Battle of Neuve Chapelle

Italy Moves Towards War

Ethnic Violence Around the World

We're covering the events of World War I exactly 100 years later.

Churchill Convenes Tank Committee

Allied Ships Bombard Turkish Forts

Young Turks Plot Armenian Genocide