March 17, 2025 | Peter Kinney

Historical "Facts" People Still Believe That Are Absolute Bogus


Don’t Always Believe What You Read

Don’t believe everything you read. It’s important to approach information with a healthy dose of skepticism and always do your own research. Why? Because we’ve been misled before. In fact, here’s evidence of 22 myths you’ve probably heard. One of the biggest lies is that…

Vincent Van Gogh

Napoleon Was A Short Man

Napoleon Bonaparte, the military genius who reshaped Europe, is often mocked for his stunt height. The British, his greatest foes, fueled this myth, calling him “The Little Corporal”. In reality, he stood around 5’7” (1.69m), average for his time. The confusion arose from a common difference. Which is...

File:Napoléon Bonaparte by Auguste Raffet.jpgAuguste Raffet (France, Paris, 1804-1860) on Wikimedia

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Napoleon Was A Short Man (Cont.)

The difference in French and British measuring units. So, who debunked it? Historians analyzing his autopsy reports and records revealed the truth. British propaganda, fueled by satirical cartoons, cemented the image of a pint-sized leader. French sources listed him as 5’2” in French feet, roughly 5’7” today. 

File:David - Napoleon crossing the Alps - Malmaison1.jpgJacques-Louis David on Wikimedia

Vikings Wore Horned Helmets

Vikings conjure images of ruthless warriors donning horned helmets, but archaeological evidence tells a different story. This misconception originates from 19th-century operas, particularly Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen custom of the character. No Viking burial site has ever unearthed a horned helmet; it’s just a stagecraft.

Viking HelmetAnetlanda, Shutterstock

Vikings Wore Horned Helmets (Cont.)

Why does this myth persist? Romanticized artworks and Hollywood portrayals reinforced the stereotype. Scandinavian museums display real Viking helmets, all lacking horns. Scholars like Carl Emil Doepler, a costume designer, popularized the look in 1876. The reality? Vikings favored practicality in battle—horns would be a serious liability.

File:Viking Arms and Armor (9302360544).jpgHelgi Halldórsson from Reykjavík, Iceland on Wikimedia

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The Great Wall Of China Is Visible From Space

The earliest reference dates back to 1754 when English antiquary William Stukeley wrote that the Great Wall “makes a considerable figure upon the terrestrial globe, and may be discerned at the Moon”. This idea was further popularized in the 20th century, mainly through Ripley’s Believe It or Not! (1932).

File:Great Wall - 29075955338.jpgAlexander Gerst on Wikimedia

The Great Wall Of China Is Visible From Space (Cont.)

When China’s first astronaut, Yang Liwei, orbited Earth in 2003, he confirmed the wall wasn’t visible. What can be seen are cities, coastlines, water bodies, and major roadways—structures with bright lighting and high contrast. The legend survives because it feels poetic, but science leaves no room for wishful thinking.

File:The Great Wall of China at Jinshanling-edit.jpgSeverin.stalder on Wikimedia

Marie Antoinette Said, “Let Them Eat Cake”

Marie Antoinette has been unfairly vilified for a phrase she never uttered. The infamous line, Qu’ils mangent de la brioche, appeared in Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, written when she was just a child. It wasn’t her remark but a reflection of aristocratic ignorance, likely attributed to someone else entirely.

File:Louise Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun - Marie-Antoinette dit « à la Rose » - Google Art Project.jpgÉlisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun on Wikimedia

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Marie Antoinette Said “Let Them Eat Cake” (Cont.)

French revolutionaries needed a villain, and Marie fit the role. Later historians traced similar phrases to earlier royals, suggesting the insult was recycled. Despite historical evidence clearing her name, this myth persists. The real Marie? She championed charity, not cruelty, making her wrongful infamy one of history’s great injustices.

File:Marie Antoinette in a red hunting habit-1772.jpgJoseph Kranzinger on Wikimedia

Columbus Discovered America

Every school textbook once proclaimed Christopher Columbus as the discoverer of America. The reality is that Native Americans had lived there for millennia, and Norse explorer Leif Erikson reached North America nearly 500 years before Columbus. His 1492 voyage did change history, but it wasn’t the first European presence.

File:Columbus Taking Possession.jpgL. Prang & Co., Boston on Wikimedia

Columbus Discovered America (Cont.)

Back then, European-centric narratives would typically sideline indigenous history. Erikson’s story, recorded in sagas, gained recognition in the 20th century when archaeologists uncovered Norse settlements in Newfoundland. Columbus did make lasting connections between continents, but as for “discovery”? That credit belongs to those who were already there.

File:Portrait of a Man, Said to be Christopher Columbus.jpgSebastiano del Piombo on Wikimedia

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Isaac Newton "Discovered" Gravity Because Of An Apple

The story goes on to explain how Isaac Newton sat under an apple tree when a falling fruit sparked his theory of gravity. While he did ponder gravity’s force, no dramatic apple-to-head moment ever happened. The tale stems from Newton’s accounts, later exaggerated by biographer William Stukeley in 1752.

File:Newton's-apple.jpgAlexander Borek on Wikimedia

Isaac Newton "Discovered" Gravity Because Of An Apple (Cont.)

Newton himself never claimed an apple conked him into genius. His writings merely mention observing falling apples, leading him to question why objects move downward. Over time, storytellers added flair, simplifying scientific breakthroughs into digestible folklore. The real Newton was a meticulous thinker who spent years refining his gravitational theories.

File:Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton, 1689.jpgGodfrey Kneller on Wikimedia

People In The Middle Ages Considered The Earth Was Flat

Contrary to popular belief, educated medieval Europeans knew the Earth was round. Ancient Greek scholars like Pythagoras and Aristotle had already established this. The flat Earth myth gained traction in the 19th century, largely due to American author Washington Irving’s fictionalized biography of Columbus.

File:Ruch Księżyca i Słońca.jpgTowarzysz Przewodniczący on Wikimedia

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People In The Middle Ages Considered The Earth Was Flat (Cont.)

Medieval scholars referenced celestial bodies and navigation techniques proving Earth’s curvature. Yet Irving’s 1828 book A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus wrongly suggested Columbus battled a flat-Earth-believing clergy. This catchy but false narrative stuck, and it proves how historical inaccuracies can outlive the facts themselves.

File:Flatearthgift.jpgFlatearthgifts on Wikimedia

Witches Were Torched At The Stake In Salem

Hollywood loves to depict witches burning in Salem, but in reality, none of the accused were burned. Nineteen people were hanged, but one, Giles Corey, was pressed to death with stones. The confusion likely arises because European witch trials often involved burning at the stake.

File:Salem witch2.jpgJoseph E., ca. 1837-1914, artist. on Wikimedia

Witches Were Torched At The Stake In Salem (Cont.)

Why the discrepancy? European trials, like those in Germany and Scotland, favored burning, whereas Puritan Massachusetts followed English law, which dictated hanging for witchcraft. The Salem trials remain infamous, but their execution methods have been misrepresented.

File:Witchcraft at Salem Village.jpgunattributed on Wikimedia

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Einstein Failed Math In School

“If Einstein failed math, then there’s hope for everyone”—a comforting but false statement. Einstein debunked it, claiming, “Before I was fifteen, I had mastered differential and integral calculus”. Records confirm he excelled in math and physics, even passing entrance exams to the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School at 16.

File:Albert Einstein as a child.jpgUnknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

Einstein Failed Math In School (Cont.)

So, where did this myth come from? It is likely a misinterpretation of his struggles with French in his early schooling. By adulthood, Einstein was solving complex equations that baffle even experts today. The takeaway is that great minds face obstacles, but failing math wasn’t one of Einstein’s.

File:Albert Einstein 1921 by F Schmutzer.jpgFerdinand Schmutzer on Wikimedia

George Washington Had Wooden Teeth

Imagine wood in your mouth; is that even feasible? George Washington’s dental issues were real, but his teeth weren’t wooden. His dentures contained human, cow, horse, hippopotamus ivory, gold, lead, and brass. The wooden speculation likely comes from stained ivory, which gives it a brownish appearance.

File:Washington Teeth.jpgBakedintheHole on Wikimedia

George Washington Had Wooden Teeth (Cont.)

Mount Vernon’s records confirm Washington’s dentures were sourced from both extracted teeth and artificial replacements. Some of these came from enslaved people, a darker truth omitted in early retellings. The wooden claim persists due to artistic depictions, yet the real story reveals a complex, uncomfortable history behind early dentistry.

File:Gilbert Stuart Williamstown Portrait of George Washington.jpgGilbert Stuart on Wikimedia

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Medieval Knights Had To Be Lifted Onto Horses

Hollywood loves the image of knights struggling under their armor, barely able to mount a horse without assistance. But reality paints a different picture. Medieval armor, even the heaviest plate mail, weighed about 50-70 pounds, similar to a modern soldier’s gear.

File:Tewkesbury Medieval Festival 2008 - Mounted knight.jpgAndy Dolman on Wikimedia

Medieval Knights Had To Be Lifted Onto Horses (Cont.)

This folklore gained traction from exaggerated Victorian reenactments and misinterpreted museum displays. Books like A Knight and His Armor by Ewart Oakeshott and modern demonstrations prove knights could vault onto horses unassisted. Historical records even describe knights running, climbing, and performing acrobatics in full armor. The myth is debunked, finally.

3 men in gold and black suit statueEmber Navarro on Unsplash

Van Gogh Cut Off His Entire Ear 

A tragic artist with a severed ear is a shocking image, but it’s only partly true. Gogh sliced off just a portion of his left ear, not the whole thing. According to the Van Gogh Museum, he wrapped it and gave it to a woman at a brothel.

File:Vincent van Gogh - Self-portrait with bandaged ear (1889, Courtauld Institute).jpgVincent van Gogh on Wikimedia

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Van Gogh Cut Off His Entire Ear (Cont.)

The myth likely spread due to sensationalized accounts and dramatic retellings. His friend Paul Gauguin’s conflicting recollections, along with unreliable newspaper reports, boosted the exaggeration. Modern forensic studies of Van Gogh’s self-portraits and letters confirm the injury was severe but not as gruesome as commonly believed. 

File:Self-Portrait (Van Gogh September 1889).jpgVincent van Gogh on Wikimedia

Chastity Belts Were Used In Medieval Times

Tales of medieval women locked in chastity belts by jealous husbands make for gripping stories, but they’re pure fiction. The British Museum and historians confirm chastity belts were a 19th-century fabrication, likely as satire. Most surviving belts were theatrical props or anti-onanism devices from the prudish Victorian era.

File:Chastity belt.JPGSouthdevonplayers on Wikimedia

Chastity Belts Were Used In Medieval Times (Cont.)

The myth gained traction due to misinterpretations of medieval art and fraudulent museum exhibits. Albrecht Classen’s The Ancestry of Chastity Belts debunks this falsehood, revealing that no credible medieval records mention their actual use. Scholars now agree they were likely Victorian-era moral warnings rather than historical artifacts.

File:Iron chastity belt, Europe Wellcome L0058586.jpgFæ on Wikimedia

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The Trojan Horse Was A Real Wooden Horse 

If you’ve heard this, raise your hand. The image of Greek soldiers hiding inside a giant wooden horse to infiltrate Troy is iconic. However, many historians believe the Trojan Horse never physically existed. Ancient texts, like Virgil’s Aeneid, likely used it as a metaphor for a clever Greek deception—possibly referring to siege engines or bribed traitors.

Troy, 2004Trojan Horse Scene | TROY (2004) Brad Pitt, Movie CLIP HD by JoBlo Movie Clips

The Trojan Horse Was A Real Wooden Horse (Cont.)

When excavations happened, there was no evidence of such a structure. Or any of its kind. Archaeologists theorize the “horse” could symbolize a war tactic rather than a literal object. Studies in Archaeology magazine suggest Homer’s tale was an allegory that illustrated cunning military strategy rather than an actual wooden beast.

File:Çanakkale trojan horse.jpgRoss Burgess on Wikimedia

The Declaration Of Independence Was Finalized On July 4, 1776

Every July 4, almost all Americans don the flag’s colors to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but the document wasn’t actually signed that day. While it was approved on July 4, most signatures weren’t added until August 2, 1776. Guess what proves this?

File:Declaration of Independence (1819), by John Trumbull.jpgJohn Trumbull on Wikimedia

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The Declaration Of Independence Was Finalized On July 4, 1776 (Cont.)

The National Archives confirms this delay was due to the need for an official copy. Nonetheless, paintings like John Trumbull’s famous “Declaration of Independence” reinforced the misconception. The story persists due to patriotic narratives, but primary sources, including letters from Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, confirm the document’s signing timeline.

File:Declaration of Independence, Broadside, printed by John Dunlap in Philadelphia.jpgThomas Jefferson, Wikimedia Commons

Albert Einstein Invented The Theory Of Relativity Alone

Einstein revolutionized physics, but as the saying goes, no man is an island. He wasn’t the sole mind behind relativity: It was built on ideas from Henri Poincare, Hendrik Lorentz, and James Maxwell. Scientific American notes that while Einstein unified these concepts into the famous E=mc2 equation.

Albert Einstein360b, Shutterstock

Albert Einstein Invented The Theory Of Relativity Alone (Cont.)

Einstein even acknowledged their contributions in his writings. Lorentz’s transformations and Poincare’s work on space-time symmetry laid vital groundwork. Some even argue that Poincare was closer to formulating relativity first. However, Einstein’s 1905 paper presented a more complete theory, earning him recognition. 

File:Albert Einstein photo 1920.jpgUnknown photographer on Wikimedia

Walt Disney Drew Mickey Mouse Solo

This is a case of someone winning by hiring the right people for the job. Walt Disney’s legacy is tied to Mickey Mouse, which we cannot dispute. But he didn’t create the famous character alone. Animator Ub Iwerks, Disney’s longtime collaborator, drew Mickey’s first design in 1928. 

File:Mickey Mouse - Steamboat Willie (1928).jpgWalt Disney / Ub Iwerks on Wikimedia

Walt Disney Drew Mickey Mouse Solo (Cont.)

The Disney Archives confirm that while Disney provided the vision and voice, Iwerks was the artistic genius behind the mouse. Old footage shows Iwerks effortlessly sketching Mickey in seconds. Disney’s role was more about storytelling and marketing, ensuring Mickey became the icon he is today. 

File:Walt Disney with film roll and Mickey Mouse on his right arm, year 1935.jpgnot listed. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection on Wikimedia

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The Emancipation Proclamation Freed All Slaves 

Sure, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people, but not all of them. The order, issued in 1863, only applied to Confederate states, where the Union had little control. It didn’t affect slavery in border states like Kentucky and Maryland, which remained unchanged. Slavery went on in such states.

File:Emancipation Proclamation.jpgEngraving by W. Roberts. on Wikimedia

The Emancipation Proclamation Freed All Slaves (Cont.)

Historians, including those at the National Archives, highlight that slavery wasn’t abolished nationwide until the 13th Amendment in 1865. The proclamation was a powerful moral statement, but its immediate impact was limited. Nonetheless, it reshaped the Civil War’s purpose, and it turned it into a fight for freedom.

File:The Proclamation of Emancipation.jpgUnited States. President; Richardson, James D. (James Daniel), 1843-1914, comp on Wikimedia

Slaves Built Egyptian Pyramids

Forget Hollywood’s depictions of whip-cracking overseers. Archaeological evidence shows that Egypt’s pyramids were built by paid workers, not slaves. Tombs found near the pyramids contain remains of well-fed laborers, not mistreated slaves. The Smithsonian confirms that these builders were highly skilled craftsmen who took pride in their job.

Slaves Built Egyptian PyramidsHow Egypts Pyramids were Really Built - BRUTAL (Egyptology Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Construction) by The Primest - The Money Channel

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Slaves Built Egyptian Pyramids (Cont.)

The story of slave-built pyramids originated from Greek historians like Herodotus, who misunderstood Egyptian labor practices. Excavations by archaeologist Mark Lehner reveal housing sites with bread ovens and cattle bones, proving workers lived comfortably. The pyramids also stand as monuments to organization and engineering, not forced labor.

File:All Gizah Pyramids.jpgRicardo Liberato on Wikimedia

Nero Played The Fiddle While Rome Burned

Blaming an emperor for a city’s destruction makes a compelling story, but it turns out it isn’t accurate. In 64 AD, a massive fire consumed Rome, and rumors spread that Nero watched indifferently, playing a fiddle. However, this story had holes. One, fiddles didn’t exist until the 11th century. 

File:George Kleine presents the Cines photo drama Quo Vadis Nero sings while Rome burns. LCCN2001696114.jpgNational Printing & Engraving Company (U.S.); Kleine, George.; Cines (Firm). on Wikimedia

Nero Played The Fiddle While Rome Burned (Cont.)

Two, Nero actually played lyre or cithara. Third, When the Great Fire of Rome occurred in 64 AD, Nero was not in Rome. He was at his villa in Antium, about 60 km south of Rome. He returned to Rome to coordinate relief efforts, even opening his gardens as shelters.

File:Statue of Nero.jpgHelen Cook on Wikimedia

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The Alamo Defenders Fought To The Last Man

The battle of the Alamo in 1836 is legendary, but the “no survivors” tale is misleading, making it a half-myth. Most defenders fought to the bitter end, but some surrendered. According to Mexican records and historians like Dr James Crisp, Santa Anna ordered captives executed, contradicting the heroic Hollywood portrayal.

File:Cenotaph of the Alamo defenders (fragment), San Antonio, Texas, USA.jpgZygmunt Put Zetpe0202 on Wikimedia

The Alamo Defenders Fought To The Last Man (Cont.)

Early accounts, particularly those by Texan leaders, exaggerated the story to inspire revolutionaries. John Wayne’s The Alamo (1960) and countless books fueled this folklore. However, eyewitness reports from Mexican soldiers and Susanna Dickinson, a battle survivor, reveal the truth—some fighters laid down arms only to be brutally executed afterward.

File:Alamo77dickinson.jpgUnknown authorUnknown author on Wikimedia

Humans Only Use 10% Of Their Brain

This myth refuses to die despite science repeatedly proving it wrong. The idea that humans use just 10% of their brains likely stems from misinterpretations of early neurological research. William James, a psychologist, suggested that people don’t reach their full potential, but he never meant that brain activity was limited.

File:William James in 1890s.jpgSarah Choate Sears (1858-1935) on Wikimedia

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Humans Only Use 10% Of Their Brain (Cont.)

Brain scans using fMRI technology show constant activity throughout the brain, even during rest. Scientists like Barry Beyerstein debunked this lie: Every region serves a function. Pop culture, from Lucy (2014) to self-help books, keeps it alive, but the truth is clear—your brain is always fully operational.

geraltgeralt on Pixabay


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