Did Louis Vuitton Sponsor ‘Human Zoos’ in the 1800s and Early 1900s?
15 March 2019 - Though they weren't typically billed as such, 'human zoos' were unfortunately a thing during the heyday of Western colonialism.
History Archive
Was Wall Street Originally the Site of a ‘Border Wall’ Meant to Protect New Amsterdam?
15 January 2019 - Social media memes compared a defensive wall built along the northern border of New Amsterdam during the 17th century to President Donald Trump's border wall.
Did the SS Warrimoo Exist in Two Centuries at Once?
2 January 2019 - The SS Warrimoo was reportedly once navigated to a point such that it simultaneously spanned four different hemispheres and two centuries.
Have Two McDonald’s-Containing Countries Ever Been at War with Each Other?
6 December 2018 - Whether an economic theory involving McDonald's franchises and war literally holds true largely depends on one's definition of "war."
Was the Celebration of Christmas Illegal in the U.S. Until 1836?
18 December 2018 - A Facebook meme highlighted the Puritan colonists' dim view of December 25 celebrations.
Did FDR’s Vice-President Write an Op-Ed About ‘American Fascism’?
28 November 2018 - Henry A. Wallace's 1944 piece included a warning regarding the alliance of racists and "deliberate poisoners of public information."
Did Robert Smalls Steal a Confederate Ship to Rescue Himself and Others from Slavery?
21 August 2018 - A meme accurately recounts the life of a man born into slavery who stole a Confederate ship to rescue fellow slaves, became a war hero, and got elected to the U.S. Congress.
Did Paul Krugman Say the Internet’s Effect on the World Economy Would Be ‘No Greater Than the Fax Machine’s’?
7 June 2018 - In a 1998 article about the pitfalls of making predictions about technological progress, the Nobel Prize-winning economist questioned the future role of the Internet.
Did Christopher Columbus Seize, Sell, and Export Sex Slaves?
25 May 2018 - A Facebook meme accurately describes some of Columbus's most brutal practices in the Caribbean.
Was a German Football Club Banned After Failing to Give a Nazi Salute?
25 May 2018 - News reports of a German football club's getting banned in 1934 after failing to give the Nazi salute are real, but the team's actions were not in protest of the Third Reich.
Did the Ku Klux Klan March at the 1924 Democratic National Convention?
15 May 2018 - An Internet meme holds that the KKK touted its political power by marching en masse outside the convention, which allegedly became known thereafter as the "Klanbake."
Is Abraham Lincoln in the Wrestling Hall of Fame?
3 May 2018 - A popular meme contained a mixture of myth, rumor, and facts (as well as a ridiculous digitally edited image) about the legendary United States president.
