Mental Floss

WEIRD









Before you start pranking, read up on where April Fools’ Day might have come from.

The origins of April Fools’ Day have long been caught up in myths and legends involving everything from mackerels to calendar switches.

Austin Thompson
The BBC once pranked the world by declaring that Big Ben’s clock face would be going digital.

From Taco Bell buying the Liberty Bell to the time the BBC convinced its viewers that spaghetti grows on trees, these are some of the most iconic pranks in history.

Abbey Stone








There are a lot of people who don’t think Shakespeare was actually Shakespeare.

Discover the controversial conspiracy theories that challenge Shakespeare’s authorship, from the Baconian Theory to the Alien Theory and beyond.

Lorna Wallace


The British royal family has been dogged by conspiracy theories for more than 1000 years.

From secret love children to political assassinations to accusations of vampirism, the British royal family has been the subject of many bizarre conspiracy theories over the course of its history.

Paul Anthony Jones






Decades after the footprints that popped up in northern California, they were alleged to be a hoax.

When 16-inch-long tracks began popping up on northern California logging sites in 1958, workers dubbed the culprit ‘Big Foot’—but decades later, the whole thing was revealed to be a hoax.

John O'Connor
The Southernmost part of the United States (or not).

Florida is known for its alligator sightings, weird crimes, and Disney World. But how much of what you think you know about the Sunshine State is true?

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