When History Plays Tricks On Memory

You might feel confident about your history knowledge—but chances are, some of it’s built on myths. Over the years, movies, pop culture, and repetition have turned plenty of “facts” into comfortable fictions we rarely question. The truth, however, often tells a very different story—sometimes surprising, sometimes amusing. Join us as we explore twenty famous historical moments that almost everyone remembers the wrong way, and what really happened. 

John Trumbull on Wikimedia

1. Orson Welles’ War Of The Worlds Broadcast Caused Mass Panic

Newspapers blew the story out of proportion, claiming nationwide chaos to make the radio look bad and sell papers. In truth, the panic was small—though police did rush to CBS studios, forcing the cast to sneak out the back. Nontheless, the hype launched Orson Welles’ legendary career.

Dallas Dispatch-Journal (no photographer credited) on Wikimedia

2. Benjamin Franklin’s Kite Experiment Discovered Electricity

Franklin’s 1752 experiment only tested lightning’s electrical nature. His careful use of a silk kite and a metal key proved that lightning carried electric charge, which led directly to his invention of the lightning rod that protected homes from deadly strikes.

Currier & Ives, New York on Wikimedia

3. The Great Pyramids Were Built By Slaves

Archaeological digs near the Great Pyramids debunk the old slave story. Workers’ tombs show they were respected laborers, not enslaved people, and records of meat and beer rations reveal a paid workforce of tens of thousands who built history’s greatest wonder.

Douwe C. van der Zee on Wikimedia

4. Betsy Ross Designed The First U.S. Flag

The story of Betsy Ross designing the first American flag is rooted in family lore, not documented history. Her grandson promoted the claim years later, but no official records from 1777—when the flag was adopted—mention her involvement.

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris on Wikimedia

5. Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned

Nero was the Roman emperor during the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. The popular myth claims he played music as the city burned, but the fiddle didn’t exist yet—and Nero wasn’t even in Rome when the fire began. Historical accounts say he later helped organize relief efforts, though he controversially blamed Christians for the disaster.

Hubert Robert on Wikimedia

6. The Emancipation Proclamation Freed All Enslaved People

Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation aimed to weaken the Confederacy, freeing enslaved people only in rebel states. Slavery still stood in Union territories until the 13th Amendment in 1865 officially ended it across the entire U.S.

Francis Bicknell Carpenter on Wikimedia

7. The Wright Brothers Were The First People Ever To Fly

A pair of bicycle makers from Ohio forever changed travel in 1903. Earlier gliders and balloons had lifted people before, but the Wright brothers’ 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk marked the world’s first controlled, powered takeoff.

John T. Daniels (restoration & colorization by Wright Stuf) on Wikimedia

8. Anastasia Romanov Survived The Romanov Massacre

For decades, rumors claimed Anastasia survived Russia’s royal massacre. Impostors like Anna Anderson fueled the myth; however, DNA testing of remains found near Yekaterinburg in 1979 ended the mystery in the 1990s. It confirmed that Anastasia died with her family in 1918.

Boissonnas et Eggler, St. Petersburg, Nevsky 24. – Bain News Service, publisher. on Wikimedia

9. Newton Discovered Gravity Via An Apple Hitting His Head

The story of an apple bonking Newton on the head is pure legend, not science. His careful observations of falling apples inspired a deeper study and led to his groundbreaking theory of universal gravitation—later published in his 1687 masterpiece, Principia Mathematica.

Godfrey Kneller on Wikimedia

10. Christopher Columbus Sailed To Prove The Earth Was Round

Columbus didn’t set sail to prove the Earth was round, as people already knew that. He aimed to find a quicker route to Asia, but his four voyages from 1492 to 1504 aboard the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María led him to the Americas instead.

Emanuel Leutze on Wikimedia

11. The Boston Tea Party Was A Chaotic Riot

Many picture the Boston Tea Party as wild chaos; in reality, it was carefully planned and disciplined. On December 16, 1773, protesters disguised as Mohawk Indians destroyed only 342 chests of tea and even cleaned the decks afterward—a precise stand against unfair taxation.

Original uploader was Cornischong at lb.wikipedia on Wikimedia

12. Napoleon Was Extremely Short

A simple mix-up between French and British measurements gave Napoleon Bonaparte his “short” reputation. At 5’6”, he was average for his time. His nickname, “Little Corporal,” came from his rank—not his height—though history preferred the myth over reality.

Andrea Appiani on Wikimedia

13. Marie Antoinette Told The Poor To Eat Cake

The famous quote “Let them eat cake” actually appeared in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s writing long before Marie Antoinette lived. The phrase was later wrongly tied to her after her 1793 execution, but no record shows France’s last queen ever said it.

Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun on Wikimedia

14. The War Of 1812 Is Remembered As A Decisive U.S. Victory

Despite its reputation, the War of 1812 ended in a stalemate. America’s biggest win at New Orleans happened after peace was signed, and British troops had already burned the White House. Still, it inspired a lasting victory—the Star-Spangled Banner.

The original uploader was Mike McGregor (Can) at English Wikipedia. on Wikimedia

15. The Titanic Was Advertised As “Unsinkable” Before Launch

Before it sailed, the Titanic was called “practically unsinkable,” not “unsinkable.” That careful phrase turned absolute only after the tragedy. When the ship went down with 2,200 passengers, the myth took hold.

Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart on Wikimedia

16. Einstein Failed Math As A Student

Ever heard that Einstein flunked math? That rumor couldn’t be more wrong. He mastered calculus by fifteen. The confusion came from a poor French grade, differences in Swiss grading systems, and a tongue-in-cheek article that kept the myth alive.

Photograph by Oren Jack Turner, Princeton, N.J. on Wikimedia

17. The Middle Ages Believed The Earth Was Flat

Medieval scholars actually taught that Earth was round, carrying on ideas from ancient Greek astronomy. The “flat Earth” myth was invented centuries later by nineteenth-century writers who wrongly claimed medieval people believed the planet was shaped like a plate.

Orlando Ferguson on Wikimedia

18. George Washington Had Wooden Teeth

Washington lost nearly all his teeth by his late fifties, and his dentures were made from materials far more complex than wood. They were crafted from ivory, gold, lead, human teeth, and even animal teeth.

Gilbert Stuart on Wikimedia

19. The Declaration Was Completed On Independence Day

It’s a fun myth that everyone signed on July 4, but that date marks only its approval. Most delegates added their signatures over the following weeks. By August, the document was complete and later found its forever home in Washington’s National Archives.

John Trumbull on Wikimedia

20. Abner Doubleday Invented Baseball

Generations loved believing that Union General Abner Doubleday created America’s favorite pastime. The idea came from a flawed 1900s report by the Mills Commission. Historians now credit the sport’s rise to organized teams in 1869.

Unknown, probably Matthew Brady or Levin Corbin Handy. on Wikimedia