Many so-called historical ‘facts’ have been shared worldwide, and even taught in schools. Sadly, they’re nothing close to being true. To help you avoid spreading these common misconceptions, here are some popular historical facts to disregard now.
Albert Einstein Failed Mathematics
People often claim that Albert Einstein failed mathematics at school despite his later academic excellence. This is nonsense; Einstein did very well in mathematics and other subjects, and he had even mastered calculus by the age of 15. This myth likely came about from misreadings of his old school grades.
The Great Wall of China and Space
Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China is not viewable from space by the naked eye. There’s no denying that the wall is enormous, but it has been disproven by several astronauts. The wall is certainly very wide, but it’s far too narrow to be seen from space.
Columbus Discovered America
Another classic historical ‘fact’ that has been debunked is that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Bizarrely, Columbus never even set foot in America, although indigenous people had already inhabited it, with further explorers such as Leif Erikson reaching the country around 1,000 AD.
Vikings Wore Horned Helmets
When you imagine Vikings, you probably imagine them wearing horned helmets, but this was never the case. As Smithsonian Magazine points out, no archaeological evidence shows any truth in this; it’s a historical inaccuracy that has spread throughout romanticized 19th-century art, which 20th—and 21st-century media have kept up.
Napoleon Was Short
Even in school history books, Napoleon has always been known to be short, but this was just British propaganda. In reality, the Frenchman was 5 feet 7 inches tall, which was average for his time. However, confusion between French and British units of measurement likely also contributes to this myth.
Salem Witch Trials Burnings
In countless history books and horror films, the Salem witch-burning trials are recounted, but this is just a commonly misunderstood historical fact. In actuality, the ‘witches’ were actually hung, with burning at the stake being more of a European custom. Some witches were even crushed to death under heavy stones.
Marie Antoinette’s Cake Comment
It’s sad to say, but Marie Antoinette never said, “Let them eat cake.” The origins of the myth are still unclear, but it is said to have been made up many years after death, potentially by people who opposed the French Revolution in an attempt to ruin her reputation.
Witches’ Weigh House
The second misconceived fact about witches on this list was that weighing witches against the weight of a Bible was commonly used to assess suspicions. There were such evil trials, including trials by ordeal or swimming tests, but the Bible weigh house technique just arose from fiction.
Iron Maidens Medieval Torture
Outrageously, the infamous iron maiden torture tools were little more than a fabrication. They did exist, but they were only invented in the 18th century as a phony relic. Unsurprisingly, many historians didn’t realize this, causing the devices to be associated with torture in the Middle Ages.
Flat Earth Belief in Columbus’s Time
It’s concerning that the flat earth theory is making a comeback, with people feeling like we’ve moved back into Christopher Columbus’s time. However, Columbus had nothing to do with the discovery of Earth’s spherical shape. In fact, most educated Europeans knew about this by the Middle Ages.
Benjamin Franklin’s Kite Experiment
It’s true that Benjamin Franklin built a kite in order to conduct experiments during a lightning storm, but this story is dramatized greatly in books and films. In reality, he was sitting safely under his porch, knowing fine well that moving closer into the storm would have been dangerous.
Julius Caesar’s Birth by Caesarean Section
In a twist of words, people often falsely claim that Julius Caesar was born through a Caesarean section. This is nothing but a silly pun; in reality, Caesar was born through a normal delivery. If he wasn’t, his mother wouldn’t have survived the birth back in those harsh times.
The Black Death and Cats
During the Black Death plague, it’s known that both cats and rats were culled to prevent the plague from spreading further. Whilst it’s true that both of these animals were being killed, only rats were carrying the plague, with the killing of cats now being assumed as unrelated pest control.
Lady Godiva’s Naked Ride
Many debunked history myths originate in legends, just like the story of Lady Godiva riding naked through Coventry on a horse. Once again, this story is complete nonsense; the first traces of the myth appeared over 100 years after the event supposedly occurred, so it’s nothing more than a story.