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McDonalds/Justin Dodd If youre celebrating a 50th birthday or anniversary this year, youre in excellent company. From the first e-mail to McDonalds Quarter Pounder, 1971 was a year full of change. Here are 50 people, places, things, and events celebrating their own 50th birthday in 2021. 1. Walt Disney World Jacqueline Nell/Disneyland Resort, Getty Images Following the success of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney began searching for a location for a second theme park in 1959. After...

Subscribe here, or by clicking subscribe above! It’s June 17, 1896, and Norwegian polar explorer Fridtjof Nansen is waking up after another frigid night spent on Franz Josef Land. It’s an uninhabited archipelago north of Siberia in the Arctic Ocean. With his assistant Hjalmar Johansen still snoozing nearby, Nansen starts a fire, tosses some meat into a pot to make soup, and climbs atop a rocky hill to admire the view. That’s when he hears it—the unmistakable sound of dogs barking. He’...

Subscribe here, or by clicking subscribe above! It’s June 1827, and high above the Arctic Circle, British naval officer William Edward Parry and more than 20 men are trudging over the ice from Svalbard to the North Pole. They’re hoping to be the first men to reach 90° North, but it’s not looking good. No Arctic explorer is more experienced than Parry. He’s already led three voyages to the Arctic and sailed farther through the Northwest Passage than anyone. He’s prepared to face any t...

Today’s ClimateWeekdays Our no-nonsense daily digest of the day’s must-read headlines from around the web, curated by our expert staff. Breaking News Daily Don’t miss a beat. Get a daily email of our original, groundbreaking stories written by our national network of award-winning reporters. ICN Weekly Saturdays Our #1 newsletter delivers the week’s climate and energy news – our original stories and top headlines from around the web. Inside Clean Energy Thursdays Email Address “It r...

In our new podcast, 'Mental Floss Presents: The Quest for the North Pole,' we’ll dive into the adventure, excitement, and danger surrounding our obsession with the North Pole.

Courtesy of Weekly World News Though it feels a little bit like choosing a favorite child, of the thousands of stories Mental Floss publishes in any year, our staffers are bound to have some particular favorites. It could be a case of a long-gestating idea finally coming to fruition, or a story that is so unique (or just plain bizarre) that there’s no way we could pass up the chance to write about it. As weve done in years past, we asked the Mental Floss team to share some of their favorite ...

Choosing a name for your baby is a tricky business. Not only do the parents usually need to agree on it, but any number of relatives and friends might weigh in with strong opinions of their own. Once you’ve ruled out the names of all the school bullies and detested exes within six degrees of separation, you might feel like you’re running out of options. Even after you come to a decision, there’s still a chance your little Amelia will show up for her first day of kindergarten and meet five...

Amazon There are a lot of gifts to be bought this time of year, but you dont want to give the people in your life the same old presents theyve already seen countless times. So we thought we’d help you out a bit by sharing a few of the things we plan on gifting this season. From comfy waterproof boots for the outdoorsy people in your life to a Nerf Blaster for the kids (or chaotic adults) on your list, we think youll find something for everyone here (even if youre just in the market to treat y...

Uncommon Goods/Amazon If you want to get the book lover in your life something more original this year than the same ol paperback, the Mental Floss staff has compiled a list of literature-inspired gifts that go beyond the page. Check out what everyone suggested below for some potential shopping inspiration this holiday season. 1. My Miniature Library; $20 Uncommon Goods This miniature set of 20 tiny books is perfect for the young bibliophile. Not only does it come with classic titles like The ...

Hachette/Chronicle Books/Amazon We go through a lot of books here at Mental Floss, so its no surprise that many of the gifts we give to friends and family every year are inspired by what were reading. And if youre stumped on which books you should be leaving under the tree this holiday season, were here to help. Weve gathered 10 books that are perfect for a whole range of readers. Take a look at our staff picks below. 1. Oregon State University Press/Amazon With most people hunkering down at h...