The decorative bars on hearses are called "landau bars," and they once had a practical function. 

via @mental_floss 

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Do you know the true story of "Typhoid Mary?"

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What does the "i" in iPhone truly stand for? 

via @mental_floss 

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The crushed stones along railroad tracks are called "ballast," and designed to hold everything in place. 

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Artificial light and urban sprawl appear to be killing off our favorite summertime beetle, the Firefly. 

via @mental_floss 

https://t.co/ywQQ9yzDYF https://t.co/qxjShqKO2r

Constitution Lakes Park in Atlanta, Georgia, is home to possibly the creepiest trail North America, the Doll's Head Trail. 

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The Monarch Butterfly endangered species petition will be decided upon by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this December, hopefully, offering further protection to this majestic creature. 

via @mental_floss 

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The flag on soldiers' right shoulders is "facing forward" due to the assumption of a flag pole position whenever the soldier marches or walks forward. 

via @Mental_Floss

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Have you ever wondered which urban legends from your childhood were true? 

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"Socially, culturally, and legally, Stella Walsh was accepted as a female for 69 years. She lived and died as a female."

via @mental_floss 

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The Lunar Library is an information cache that crash-landed on the Moon in 2019 when the SpaceIL lander malfunctioned.

via @Mental_Floss

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Soldier's at the Battle of Shiloh were saved by the "Angel's Glow."

#CivilWar 

via @mental_floss 

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" #WitchHunt " is a phrase with misinformed meaning in much of the world today, but in 17th and 18th century America, being a woman, especially a woman exercising her universal rights, could be fatally dangerous. 

via @mental_floss 

https://t.co/5jNvTJvv5j https://t.co/Kp5Lgcp3DY

By tying the elemental building blocks of Earth to everyday items, a pictographic periodic table makes learning science that much more fun. 

via @Mental_Floss

https://t.co/0pUcJXxuCx https://t.co/x7K3AYJFQg

The average American eats 23 pounds of pizza annually. 

via @mental_floss 

https://t.co/AulYVBJ7pp https://t.co/jcvOct73Am

Bragging rights are all the bark at the dog park, and if you parent one of these pups, everyone is about to hear just how smart they really are. 

via @mental_floss 

https://t.co/H6d2NGjYj1 https://t.co/rz6c5XVeVg

What's made up of myoglobin and water, and is the color red? 

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Events always shape our homes, but what have you purchased to embrace spending more time at home?

Learn more: https://t.co/q602JuZuU4

(via Bloomberg CityLab) https://t.co/lXctPYiRzQ

Scraping off food residue from your dirty dishes is the most effective way of preparing them for the dishwasher and ensuring that sparkling clean allure, according to @ConsumerReports. 

via @mental_floss 

https://t.co/qWByNnu83D https://t.co/jbKT9iLlxf

What's made up of myoglobin and water, and is the color red? 

via @mental_floss 

https://t.co/5JapN0I4mN https://t.co/XmVKdSZ8eg