History is always changing. That doesn’t mean bad actors are always trying to obscure the truth, but rather that our understanding of the past is a constant moving target that evolves with society itself. It’s normal for adults to learn that things they took as gospel in social studies class were either outright false or childish oversimplifications of much more complex topics. So let’s dive into some famous historical events that never actually happened.
10. Chaos never ensued due to Orson Welles reading War of the Worlds
The infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast by Orson Welles on October 30, 1938, has become a legendary event in media history. However, the widespread panic that is often attributed to the broadcast is more myth than reality.
The radio play was a modern adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel, presented in a news bulletin format to simulate a live news broadcast. While it was indeed realistic and convincing, the panic it supposedly incited has been greatly exaggerated. Most listeners were aware they were tuning in to a fictional radio show, having heard the disclaimer at the beginning. Additionally, radio listenership was split between multiple programs, and not everyone was listening to the War of the Worlds broadcast.
Although some listeners were confused or momentarily alarmed, the panic was not as widespread or as intense as often portrayed. Most people realized it was a dramatization, and the notion of a mass hysteria-inducing panic is largely a product of sensationalized media reporting after the event.
9. George Washington never chopped down a cherry tree
The tale of George Washington and the cherry tree is one of the most well-known legends about honesty and integrity often taught in early American education. According to the popular story, a young George Washington damaged his father’s cherry tree with a hatchet. When confronted, he admitted to the deed, famously stating, “I cannot tell a lie.”
However, this charming narrative is a fabrication, penned by Mason Locke Weems in his 1800 biography, The Life of Washington. Weems sought to portray Washington as a virtuous figure and used the cherry tree incident to illustrate his moral character. While George Washington was indeed an honest and admirable man, historical evidence suggests that the cherry tree story is a fictional account created to promote moral lessons rather than a factual event from his childhood. In reality, primary sources do not support the tale, and it is widely considered a myth.
8. The Trojan Horse never existed
We’ve all heard this legendary tale from ancient Greek mythology that has been immortalized through countless retellings, most notably in Homer’s Iliad and Virgil’s Aeneid. According to the story, during the Trojan War, the Greeks, unable to breach the heavily fortified city of Troy, devised a cunning plan. They built a massive wooden horse, hollowed it out to conceal soldiers inside, and left it at the gates of Troy as a supposed peace offering. The Greeks then pretended to retreat, giving the impression that the war was over.
The Trojans brought it into their city as a victory prize. That night, while the Trojans celebrated, the hidden Greek soldiers emerged from the horse, opened the gates of Troy, and allowed the Greek army to enter and conquer the city.
While this tale has become a symbol of deception and strategy, there is no historical evidence to confirm that the Trojan Horse was a real military tactic used during the Trojan War. It is widely considered a myth or a metaphorical story passed down through generations to emphasize the cunning nature of warfare.
7. The Tale of Pocahontas and John Smith is a lie
The tale of Pocahontas and John Smith is a story deeply ingrained in American folklore, perpetuated through centuries and popularized by the Disney movie. Come on, you’ve seen that one at least: Pocahontas, a Native American woman, and John Smith, an English settler and one of the leaders of Jamestown, fall in love and bring their warring peoples together.
Another version of the story has John Smith claiming that Pocahontas saved his life during his captivity among her people. However, many historians and scholars have cast doubt on the accuracy of Smith’s account, suggesting that he may have exaggerated or even fabricated aspects of his interactions with Pocahontas to promote himself and enhance his image.
Pocahontas did play a role in mediating between the Native Americans and the English colonists, but the nature of her relationship with John Smith is still debated. The romanticized narrative that emerged over time has obscured historical realities, making it challenging to discern fact from fiction. But the Disney version is, well, just a Disney version.
6. Hitler didn’t snub Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics (but FDR did afterwards)
The widely perpetuated story of Adolf Hitler snubbing Jesse Owens, the African American track and field athlete, who triumphed at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, is a well-known historical myth. However, the true tale is more complex and involves Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the United States at that time.
Jesse Owens’ remarkable performance at the Berlin Olympics, winning four gold medals and breaking world records, defied Hitler’s idea of Aryan racial supremacy. But Owens faced more racial prejudice and discrimination upon his return to the United States than he did in Nazi Germany, which included being denied the opportunity to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
FDR did not extend a White House invitation to Owens or acknowledge his achievements, a stark contrast to the warm reception he gave to white Olympians. Roosevelt’s action, or lack thereof, highlighted the prevalent racial segregation and discrimination within the United States during that era. Owens later commented on this, expressing his disappointment at not being recognized by his own country’s president despite his historic achievements. So yeah. If the freaking Nazis are more racially tolerant than you, your house is not in order.
5. Defenders rarely poured boiling oil over castle walls
The image of defenders pouring boiling oil on invaders attempting to breach a castle’s walls is a popular trope in movies. However, historical evidence suggests that this might be more myth than reality.
Heating enough oil to a boiling point and then safely pouring it from high battlements onto besiegers would have been logistically challenging and resource-intensive. Moreover, pouring boiling oil required large quantities of oil and a means to heat it consistently, making it an impractical defense tactic.
Instead, defenders relied on a range of more feasible strategies, such as archers, crossbowmen, stone-throwing devices, and other forms of direct combat, to protect their castles during sieges. These methods were not only more practical but also likely more effective in repelling attackers than the oft-cited but less substantiated boiling oil technique. It is possible that the technique was used once or twice and mistaken for a common tactic, but it’s more likely that those examples are only notable because of how rare, rather than how representative, they are of castle defense.
4. Jesus Christ’s birthday is almost definitely not December 25
Everyone celebrates Jesus Christ’s birth on Christmas, December 25, but historical and biblical evidence suggests that this date is not likely to be the actual day of Jesus’s birth. In the early Christian church, the exact date of Jesus’s birth wasn’t a significant concern. It was only in the fourth century that Pope Julius I chose December 25 to celebrate Christ’s birth. Some scholars propose that this date was selected to coincide with existing pagan winter solstice festivals, making the transition to Christianity more acceptable to pagan populations.
Biblical accounts provide little concrete information about the specific day of Jesus’s birth. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke offer varying details about the nativity, but neither provides a precise date. Shepherds were said to be in the fields at night when Jesus was born (Luke 2:8), suggesting a warmer time of year than December.
Still, we can continue to celebrate his birth exactly how a man who cast money changers out of the temple for turning his Father’s house into a den of thieves would’ve wanted: by buying Gucci bags and Xboxes and fighting over the phrase “Happy Holidays.”
3. Feminists in the ‘60s didn’t burn bras
The popular notion that feminists in the 1960s burned bras as a symbol of women’s liberation is a myth. The idea likely stems from protests and demonstrations during the feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s, where women sought to challenge traditional gender roles and fight for equality. However, the specific act of burning bras as a widespread protest or movement is not historically accurate.
What did happen was a protest at the 1968 Miss America pageant organized by feminists, where various items symbolizing oppression were placed into a “Freedom Trash Can.” Among these items were girdles, cosmetics, high-heeled shoes, and magazines, but bras were not burned. The media coverage exaggerated and sensationalized this event, leading to the popular misconception that feminists were burning bras as a form of protest.
The feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s was a complex and multifaceted struggle for women’s rights and equality, encompassing issues such as reproductive rights, workplace discrimination, and domestic violence. While the image of burning bras became a powerful symbol associated with women’s liberation, it’s essential to understand the context and the broader goals of the feminist movement during that time.
2. 300 Spartans didn’t defend Thermopylae
Don’t get us wrong. The Battle of Thermopylae definitely went down. It was a crucial engagement during the Greco-Persian Wars in 480 BC. But the whole “300 Spartans” thing represents just a fraction of the Greek forces that were present at the battle. While the Spartans, led by King Leonidas I, played a significant role, they were part of a larger Greek coalition that stood against the invading Persian forces led by King Xerxes I.
The Greek coalition included thousands of troops from various city-states, collectively known as the Hellenic League. Besides the Spartans, there were warriors from regions like Thespiae, Thebes, Phocis, and more. Estimates of the total Greek force vary, but it’s believed to have been several thousand strong.
The Spartans were indeed a disciplined and well-trained force, recognized for their military prowess and bravery. However, the collective effort of the Greek city-states, coordinated and led by figures like Leonidas, was what made the resistance at Thermopylae formidable. The battle bought crucial time for the Greeks, allowing them to prepare for subsequent engagements and eventually repel the Persian invasion.
1. A falling apple didn’t tip Isaac Newton off to gravity
The tale of Sir Isaac Newton and the falling apple is a well-known myth that has been passed down through generations. According to popular folklore, Newton was sitting under an apple tree when an apple fell on his head, inspiring him to formulate his theory of universal gravitation. However, this story, while fun, is a huge oversimplification and likely an embellishment of the real events.
Newton himself recounted the story later in life, but the account was more of a metaphorical description rather than a literal event. The falling apple provided Newton with a mental spark, prompting him to contemplate the forces governing motion and the concept of gravity. Newton’s work on gravitation was a product of years of study, observations, and meticulous mathematical calculations rather than a sudden revelation caused by an apple.
It’s also worth noting that gravity wasn’t undiscovered in the 17th century. People definitely noticed that things that go up must come down before that, and that heavenly bodies moved in predictable ways.