The Hazy Origins of April Fools’ Day
The origins of April Fools’ Day have long been caught up in myths and legends involving everything from mackerels to calendar switches.
The origins of April Fools’ Day have long been caught up in myths and legends involving everything from mackerels to calendar switches.
From a surprise temblor in the Mississippi Valley to colossal ruptures and tsunamis around the Pacific Ring of Fire, these are some of the biggest earthquakes in modern times.
The 5-year-old who created transforming toy trucks was the youngest person to hold a patent.
The white picket fence has become a cliché for suburbia. Blame archers.
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.
Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin described the guillotine's effect as being “Like a cool breath on the back of the neck.” Anne Boleyn would likely disagree.
The best way to relocate beavers in the 1940s? Drop them out of planes, of course.
An heir and a spare disappeared during England's War of the Roses. Here's what happened—and how we might hope to solve the mystery today.
Some languages capitalize several of their pronouns. Some don’t capitalize any of them. English just capitalizes ‘I’—but why?
Art conservators for the UK’s Royal Collection were in for quite a surprise when they set about cleaning a 17th-century oil painting.
What really happened to the crew of the ‘Mary Celeste’? Delve into the theories and speculation surrounding this enduring maritime mystery.
The ”world’s largest public library,” the Library of Congress holds more than 160 million items.
Condoms in the Olympic Village have been a tradition—and a public health service—since 1988.
When it comes to Easter, the feast dishes, public celebrations, and even the candy often vary depending on where you live.
The Labradoodle is a beloved designer dog breed, but in the eyes of the dog's creator, it's a 'Frankenstein['s] monster.'
Almost as soon as it was introduced—and for generations after—the Presidential Fitness Test was absolutely traumatizing to students who had to endure it. Here’s how the program started—and ended.
Humans have doubted the existence of everything from the okapi to the platypus.
To win a nuclear arms race, Leona Libby hid a pregnancy and brushed off being irradiated.
The McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich was introduced as an alternative for Catholics avoiding meat on Fridays during Lent—and it almost lost its spot on the menu to a pineapple burger.
The generational group born between 1946 and 1964 contributed a lot to slang.
Despite what you might have heard (or seen on the big screen), famed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart probably wasn’t poisoned by Antonio Salieri—but he did spend time with a young Marie Antoinette and keep a starling as a pet.
From California to Boston, here are the literal translations of every American state and capital city name.
The year 1974 gave us Post-It Notes, the Rubik's Cube, Bailey's Irish Cream, and more.
Not even a compass could help you get to lost places like Doggerland, Guaíra Falls, and Rungholt.