History
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FBI Files Prove Adolf Hitler Escaped to Argentina
Treasure trove of documents released by the FBI includes hundreds of unsubstantiated reports claiming that Hitler faked suicide and escaped to South America. Read More
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Cocktails Came Out of Prohibition?
A long-running claim that cocktails are an entirely American invention appears to be something of a myth. Read More
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Abraham Lincoln Didn't Quit
Abraham Lincoln wasn't a quitter, but he also didn't quite experience a steady stream of failure and defeat before becoming President of the United States. Read More
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List of Reasons for Admission to Insane Asylums in the 19th Century
A list purportedly documents the myriad reasons or symptoms behind patients' being admitted to an insane asylum in the 19th century. Read More
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Were Lawn Jockeys Underground Railroad Symbols?
A viral Facebook post describes lawn jockeys as symbolic aids to escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad, but scant evidence supports that history. Read More
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Jack Johnson's Monkey Wrench?
The monkey wrench was not invented by former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson. Read More
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SubTropolis
A unusual subterranean industrial complex known as SubTropolis chugs along beneath Kansas City. Read More
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Pill Mottle
Not everyone got the joke in a meme claiming Tylenol sales were to be banned because picking the cotton balls out of bottles is reminiscent of slavery. Read More
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The Price They Paid
Essay outlines the fates of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Read More
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Getting the Points
Rumor: The eleven points on the maple leaf of Canada's flag represent the number of Canadian provinces and territories. Read More
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The Truth About Confederate History: Part 2
Misinformation about the slavery in the U.S. is rife online. Perhaps nowhere more so than in a widespread "Truth about Confederate History" article. Read More
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The Truth about Confederate History: Part 1
Misinformation about the Confederate flag is rife on the Internet. Perhaps nowhere more so than in a widespread "Truth about Confederate History" article. Read More
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What Is Cinco de Mayo?
The Cinco de Mayo holiday is not a celebration of Mexico's achieving independence from Spain, nor is it a major holiday in Mexico. Read More
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Favorite Sons
History: Many people believe the U.S. constitution requires that presidential and vice-presidential candidates be from different states. Is that really the case? Read More
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How to Be a Good Wife
A list of ten steps on how to be a good wife supposedly comes from a 1950s U.S. home economics textbook. Read More
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Horseless Carriage Committee
Rumor: An 1875 report by the Horseless Carriage Committee warned about the dangers of gasoline-fueled vehicles. Read More
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George Washington's Vision
Did George Washington tell of an angel who revealed a prophetic vision of America to him at Valley Forge? Read More
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Linkin' Kennedy
Legend: The coincidences between the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations are truly amazing. Read More
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Sewing Discontent
Rumor: Image reproduces women's housekeeping and grooming instructions from a 1949 Singer sewing manual. Read More
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Four Things About King
Viral e-mail lists 'four things you didn't know' about Martin Luther King, Jr. You probably didn't know most of them because they're not true. Read More
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No Way, No Jay
Rumor: Architect Pierre L'Enfant omitted 'J' Street from his plans for Washington, D.C., because he disliked John Jay. Read More
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I Saw New York
Did hoaxsters once plan to saw Manhattan Island in half? Read More
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John Hancock and Bull Story
What did John Hancock say when he signed the Declaration of Independence? Read More
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White House Wash
Did the White House obtain its name when it was repainted white after the British burned it in 1814? Read More
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Delayed Grantification
Did Ulysses S. Grant once hand out an exploding cigar that paid off decades later? Read More
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Maybe I'm Amazed
Was President Bush amazed by a grocery scanner? Read More
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Desk Jockey
President Richard M. Nixon used the wrong 'Wilson desk' in the White House. Read More
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Government
Urban legends and odd beliefs about government. Read More
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