Statistics Is Middle School Too Late to Learn to Read
When you look dorsum at all the lessons you learned in history class, you typically find that many of the stories provide a fairly G-rated version of history. Unfortunately, the truth is often far less flattering.
Allow'south uncover the truth about some of the exaggerated tales, common misconceptions and flat out historical lies you were taught in school. From the totally ridiculous to the pleasantly surprising, many historical events didn't go downward exactly the way you think they did.
The Egyptian Pyramids Were Built by Slaves
You probably believe slaves toiled abroad to build the pyramids for a heartless string of pharaohs. Modern Egyptologists, however, believe it'due south incredibly unlikely that the builders of the ancient pyramids included any slaves at all. Archaeological evidence really suggests they were more likely paid laborers who were highly respected for their work.
Although some may have come from poor backgrounds, their skills and labor were so appreciated that if they died on the chore, they were cached near the sacred burying sites of their pharaohs. This was considered a huge honor and never would accept realistically been an option for a slave.
You may exist under the impression that medieval peasants spent their days working around the clock all year long, simply that wasn't exactly the case. In fact, author and scholar Juliet B. Schor recently revealed that the average American today actually works more hours and enjoys less vacation time each year than the average medieval peasant.
Although a peasant's piece of work was probably much harder than the average American's chore, the average peasant enjoyed anywhere from eight weeks to half a twelvemonth off annually. They were given frequent breaks and holidays to ensure there were as few revolts among the lower class as possible.
Nero Played the Fiddle as Rome Burned to the Ground
Legend says that when Rome burned down in July of 64 Advertizement, the heartless Emperor Nero was so unconcerned that he only saturday and played the fiddle while information technology happened. This tale tin can hands be debunked for several reasons.
First, co-ordinate to the ancient historian Tacitus, Nero wasn't actually in Rome at the time but in a boondocks called Antium virtually 30 miles abroad. Second, it wouldn't have been possible for the emperor to indulge in a dabble session, no thing how cold and steely his personality may have been. When Rome burned in 64 Advertizing, the fiddle didn't even be yet. It wasn't invented until 1500, nearly a millennium and a half later.
Einstein Flunked Math as a Kid
Over the years, many a discouraged kid has been told that fifty-fifty Einstein failed math when he was a child. This is completely untrue. In fact, historians believe lilliputian Einstein was a child prodigy who studied college-level physics by age 11. It's rubber to say he didn't fail elementary math.
The fake stories may have started due to the grading system at Einstein's Swiss school. Students originally received grades on a scale of one (highest) to vi (lowest), but they later inexplicably switched the system so that vi became the best score. At that signal, Einstein started scoring 6'south on his exams, which may have made it appear to some that he was failing, even though he was nailing it.
Columbus Proved the Globe Was Circular
Virtually kids in school were told that Christopher Columbus discovered the Globe was round. In reality, nigh everyone already knew the Earth was round and roughly 8,000 miles in diameter before 1492.
Instead, Columbus' whole argument was that information technology was really only four,000 miles in bore, which explains why he was and then sure he could get to Republic of india past sailing around information technology. His whole theory was actually completely wrong, although he thought he had proven information technology when he idea his landing site in the West Indies was India. This is the reason Native Americans were first known every bit "Indians."
Witches Were Burned at the Stake in Salem
You lot already know things got completely out of manus in 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. The citizens of Salem all of a sudden became irrational and convicted random men and women of witchcraft and sentenced them to death. Equally the story goes, convicted "witches" met a grisly end by beingness burned at the pale.
Although parts of the dark history of Salem are true — 150 people were arrested, and 20 were put to decease — nobody was actually burned at the stake. Among the bedevilled, xix people were hanged, and one was crushed to decease beneath heavy stones.
Napoleon Was Super Brusque
If yous take always heard someone say a temperamental short guy has a "Napoleon complex," it's based on the supposition that Napoleon Bonaparte felt a fierce demand to show his manhood through war machine conquest because of his short height. In truth, Napoleon was actually around v feet, 7 inches tall, which was the average height for a man of his time.
The confusion probably comes from the fact that French inches were longer than British inches at the time. When the British recorded his tiptop as 5 anxiety, 2 inches, they failed to brand the correct conversion between the two systems, which left the impression he was much shorter than he actually was.
Pilgrims Wore Black and White Clothes with Large Buckles
As information technology turns out, the staunch, stereotypical Pilgrim wear with monochromatic dye and wooden buckles isn't exactly historically accurate. It's known from former records that Pilgrims actually wore a wide diversity of brightly dyed fabrics in a wide range of colors.
Much like men's suits today, black and white was reserved for special occasions and Sundays. Their everyday wear was based on the styles of the Elizabethan era and didn't include large buckles of any sort. Big buckles were really created in the 19th century and were considered "quaint," inspiring some artists to portray Pilgrims wearing them.
A Cow Kicked a Lantern and Started the Great Chicago Burn down
When the Not bad Chicago Fire consumed the city in 1871, newspapers claimed that information technology began when Mrs. O'Leary's moo-cow kicked over a lantern while she was milking it. The story never bothered to explicate why she didn't put the burn out or get assist if she was sitting right there.
The burn may accept started in her barn, but Mrs. O'Leary isn't to blame, despite the fake reports. To her decease, she maintained that she — and the rest of her family, for that matter — was comatose inside the house when the blaze broke out. It wasn't until 1893 that the reporter who published the story in the Chicago Republican admitted he made the story up. This only might be the earliest case of fake news.
George Washington Confessed to Chopping Downwards His Dad's Cherry Tree
You were undoubtedly lectured on the tale of young George Washington chopping down his dad's cherry tree. When confronted about it, little George reportedly confessed after announcing, "I cannot tell a lie."
While the story of a morally ethical 6-year-old makes a swell legend, the tale is nothing more than than a long-standing myth. The whole incident was actually the creation of Mason Locke Weems, a biographer who wrote nigh Washington's life in 1806. The author afterward explained that he was attempting to position Washington as a role model for young Americans — ironically, past telling a lie himself.
Paul Revere Rode Around Screaming, "The British Are Coming!"
First, Paul Revere was indeed ordered to ride to Lexington to alert Samuel Adams and John Hancock, but he never would take used the phrase "The British are coming!" At the time, the patriots were still British citizens themselves. Additionally, the lookout man on baby-sit was annoyed that he was and then noisy because the whole operation was supposed to exist covert.
Farther angering the picket, Revere replied, "Noise! You'll have dissonance long enough earlier. The regulars are coming out!" Additionally, Revere was initially joined by two riders that somewhen blossomed into well-nigh xl other riders proclaiming the news. So much for beingness covert!
The Declaration of Independence Was Signed on the Quaternary of July
Although nosotros gloat independence on July 4, the official timeline is a little more complicated than that. The process actually began on July 1 and July 2, when colonial representatives canonical a movement to declare the U.s.a. an contained country.
After spending the next two days revising the Proclamation of Independence, the representatives were finally ready to formally ratify it on July 4, 1776. However, members of the 2d Continental Congress didn't actually sign the document until August ii, and news didn't officially reach King George that America had revolted until August 10.
"One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind"
When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in 1969, he uttered a phrase that became i of the most famous quotes of all fourth dimension. Ironically, his original quote is actually misquoted without one tiny keyword. Armstrong really said, "One small step for a homo, one giant leap for mankind."
The word "a" may be small, just the sentence actually makes a lot more than sense when it's included. If y'all say "for man," it essentially means the aforementioned affair equally "for flesh." The reason for the cut was probably due to a gap in radio transmission. Later on all, the world was listening to a guy who was standing on the moon.
Marie Antoinette Said, "Let Them Eat Cake"
As the old story goes, the lavish French monarch Marie Antoinette was told around 1789 that her subjects were starving due to a shortage of staff of life. In response, she supposedly callously and flippantly said, "Let them swallow cake." Although her response is possibly 1 of the most famous quotes in history, it's unlikely she ever said it at all.
The quote can actually be traced back to a story told past philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in which he attributed the quote to a totally unlike monarch. Even then, there was no cake involved, as the original quote was, "Let them swallow brioche." Doesn't have quite the same ring to information technology, does it?
Deep Throat Leaked Data That Brought Down Nixon
The credit for ratting out corrupt President Nixon has largely been given to a shadowy figure known every bit "Deep Pharynx." His attraction was furthered by the Hollywood moving-picture show All the President'south Men, in which he supplies reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein with secret Watergate intelligence.
Deep Throat — afterwards revealed to be an FBI informant named William Mark Felt Sr. — doubtless played a large part in Watergate, but it wasn't as large a role as everyone originally idea. Every bit Bernstein later explained, "Deep Throat largely confirmed information we had already gotten from other sources." Somehow, it's a bit disappointing to downgrade his mysterious office to backup informant.
"Retrieve the Alamo!"
Many Americans think the boxing at the Alamo was some heroic effort to gratuitous Texas from an oppressive Mexican authorities, but things weren't then simple. Mexico had actually historically immune Americans to alive in the territory tax free.
The problem occurred considering there were more Americans than they could handle, then United mexican states decided to cut downwards on the flow of American immigrants. The settlers didn't capeesh the restriction and decided to claim Texas as their own. Reports of their initial defeat at the Alamo infuriated the settlers, and they began killing every Mexican they could observe, whether they were soldiers or not.
Galileo Starting time Suggested the Dominicus Was the Eye of the Universe
In history class, Galileo is given a great deal of credit for insisting the sun, rather than the Earth, is at the center of the solar organization. In reality, he was far from the starting time person to come up upward with the thought.
That award actually goes to a Greek scientist and astronomer named Aristarchus of Samos, who lived from 310 BC to 230 BC. In Galileo's own time, Nicolaus Copernicus besides championed the theory to the extent that it'southward at present known every bit the "Copernican Revolution." Galileo mistakenly gets credit for the theory just because he was the first person with the technology to actually prove it was true.
Shakespeare Was the Original Creator of His Works
Today, William Shakespeare is highly regarded as 1 of the most talented writers in the history of the English linguistic communication. Therefore, information technology seems crazy to recollect he's not the bodily mastermind behind the famous plots and characters in each of his iconic plays.
Ironically, Shakespeare was a plagiarizer — at least in terms of crafting story ideas. He really got the plots and characters for nigh of his plays from old stories created by other writers. Before you estimate him too harshly, however, it wasn't a cloak-and-dagger. He wasn't known in his own time for his power to arts and crafts original tales. He was known for his power to tell the stories far more than beautifully and with far more flair than other writers.
Jesus Was Born on Dec 25
Yeah, the world celebrates Christmas on December 25 each twelvemonth, but history has proven it'due south not the actual date that Jesus was born. Additionally, Christ's altogether wasn't celebrated at all until three centuries after his death.
When the Roman church decided to celebrate Jesus' birth, they found there was no record of when it actually occurred. They selected December 25 considering it was already the date of several pagan festivals that honored Roman gods similar Saturn. This increased the likelihood the celebration would be accepted by pagans, making the transition easier for those who wanted to convert.
Vikings Wore Horned Helmets
For a very foreign reason, Vikings always seem to be stereotypically portrayed in cartoons and other media as huge guys wearing horned wooden helmets. If you've ever watched The History Channel bear witness Vikings, you've probably noticed the marked absence of such bizarre headgear.
Co-ordinate to history, there's absolutely no evidence that Vikings e'er wore such helmets during their own time. The horned helmet motif actually originated with a costume designer on an 1876 opera production of Der Ring des Nibelungen. From in that location, the horned Viking helmet managed to stick in the public's minds and imagination.
Ninjas Always Sneak Around Shrouded in Black
Was the head to toe blackness uniform really the perpetual uniform of ninjas in feudal Japan? Due to their legendary stealth, ninjas have made it challenging to verify the truth or uncover the prevarication. A bit of common sense suggests they probably didn't clothes like that all the fourth dimension.
Ninjas were sort of like covert agents or assassins in their time, then they would have attempted to blend in as much as possible. A solid black uniform may have made sense for certain night missions, but the odds are expert that ninjas dressed just like everyone else in normal daytime environments in hopes of going unnoticed.
Henry Ford Invented the Automobile
Although Henry Ford definitely transformed the world of automobiles, he didn't actually invent the first car or even the first assembly line, for that matter. Ford's proper noun is and so synonymous with early on automobiles because he was the first to produce a machine that most middle-class people could actually beget.
The history of automobiles goes back far longer than many people realize, with one of the earliest "cars" existence a steam-powered automobile designed by Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot in 1769. When it comes to the offset gas-powered car, however, the credit goes to Karl Benz, the famous German Engineer behind today's Mercedes-Benz.
Thomas Edison Invented the Low-cal Bulb
Light bulbs had actually been around for years before Thomas Edison e'er took information technology upon himself to make his own version. The problem with pre-Edison bulbs was that they didn't concluding long plenty to be very useful.
Due to the light seedling's obvious potential, about twenty other inventors were also attempting to perfect the calorie-free bulb during Edison's time. Some rumors even accuse him of stealing some of his rival inventors' ideas in the race to create the outset long-lasting light seedling. Regardless, his real claim to fame is perfecting a useful light seedling, not inventing it altogether.
The Quango of Nicaea Decided Which Books to Include in the Bible
Today, the Christian Bible consists of 66 books Old and New Testament books, but far more books were circulated during the early days of the church. One mutual misconception is that the Council of Nicaea (325 Advertisement) met to decide which books would make the cut and be included in an official version.
The council actually met to come to an agreement on whether Christ was always divine or achieved divinity. In 367 Advertizing, a church father named Athanasius provided the offset listing of the 66 books found in Biblical catechism today, based on the books that had become universally accepted as truth.
Suicide Rates Shot Up After the 1929 Stock Market Crash
On October 24, 1929 — the infamous "Black Thursday" — rumors began rapidly circulating that a number of stockbrokers were so distraught over the crash that they leapt to their deaths from the windows or roofs of their office skyscrapers. As the rumors continued to spread, the stories grew to include skyrocketing suicide rates in the wake of the financial disaster.
In this instance, the truth isn't actually as bad. In truth, suicide rates really decreased following the crash, and the rumored roof-jumping deaths were simply limited to ii instances. Fifty-fifty more than ironically, neither of those deaths took place until Nov, weeks afterwards the crash.
Everything Y'all Know About the First Thanksgiving
Whatever the outset Thanksgiving was, it probably wasn't the lovefest between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims that you read well-nigh in textbooks. Some historians believe the first "Thanksgiving" really took place in 1637, when the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony proclaimed a 24-hour interval of thanks.
The whole thing was meant to be a celebration of the rubber return of the colony's men. Returning from where, you inquire? They were coming home after helping massacre more than 700 men, women and children in the Pequot Native American tribe. To this day, many Native Americans see Thanksgiving as a mean solar day of mourning rather than a celebratory holiday. That certainly puts a unlike spin on the holiday.
Walt Disney Created Mickey Mouse
Although Walt Disney was indeed the vox and one of the creators backside Mickey, he tin't take sole credit for drafting anybody'due south favorite mouse. The truth is Mickey was actually drawn past Walt's favorite animator, Ub Iwerks. It was Iwerks who came up with Mickey's trademark red shorts and gigantic ears.
Iwerks and Disney initially met while working as illustrators in Kansas City, and they went on to become lifelong friends. The two created Mickey in a joint endeavor to supervene upon an initial character named Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Nevertheless, over time, Iwerks' name somehow faded from the annals of Disney history.
Ben Franklin Discovered Electricity During His Kite Experiment
Nosotros've all heard the story. Ben Franklin rushes out into a thunderstorm to fly a kite with a central fastened to the cord and discovers electricity. But did he really? By the time Franklin conducted his kite experiment, scientists all over the world already knew about the existence of electricity.
His experiment had more to do with proving lightning was a form of flowing electricity and that information technology could be directed away from houses with a metal rod. Ironically, due to the fact that he had written to a friend about his proposed experiment, another scientist had already conducted information technology a month before he did. Apparently, you can't trust anyone when information technology comes to big ideas.
Everybody Wore Cowboy Hats in the Wild Due west
Westerns are certainly full of people strutting around in cowboy hats, just history would have looked a bit unlike in person. The now-famous Stetson wasn't even invented until 1865 and didn't really skyrocket to popularity until about the terminate of the 19th century.
If you look carefully at photos of Wild West outlaws and other figures, the cowboy chapeau is few and far betwixt when information technology comes to their headgear. Most men at the time wore either derby hats, wool caps, Civil war-way hats or Mexican sombreros. Even the kickoff Stetson looked more like a traditional Amish chapeau than a modern cowboy lid.
Jesse Owens Was Snubbed by Hitler at the 1936 Olympics
When famous African American athlete Jesse Owens went to the 1936 Olympics in Germany, rumors flew that Hitler had snubbed him considering he was black. As Owens later explained, however, the truth was far more disturbing.
"Hitler didn't snub me. It was our president who snubbed me. The president didn't even ship me a telegram," Owens afterward explained. Racism was so rampant in America at the fourth dimension that Owens was really treated with more respect in Federal republic of germany than he was when he returned habitation to the Usa. Apparently, it was President Franklin Roosevelt who snubbed him, rather than the earth's most evil man.
Source: https://www.simpli.com/history/common-historical-myths-learned-school?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740008%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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