History Archives

Was the Hindenburg Adorned With a Swastika? The German airship crashed into a New Jersey township in May 1937.

True

Is the ‘Rules for Teachers – 1872’ List Real? The 'Rules for Teachers - 1872' list prompts us to marvel at the grimness of...

Legend

Were the Founding Fathers Not Involved in Pledge, Anthem, ‘In God We Trust’? A popular meme argued that Washington, Jefferson, et al had no role in the creation...

True

Did Abraham Lincoln Jump Out a Window to Prevent a Quorum? Surprisingly, this isn't the only story about Abraham Lincoln jumping out of a window for...

True

The claim is that a photograph shows doctors and members of the media who were hung in the aftermath of the Nuremberg trials.

Were Doctors and Members of the Media Hanged in This Nuremberg Trial Photo? This article contains images of death and may not be suitable for all viewers.

Miscaptioned

Are Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter the Longest-Married Couple in Presidential History? The couple celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in 2021.

True

Did Billy Dee Williams Prank Mark Hamill Before They Met British Royalty? A photograph shows Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, looking away as he shook hands with...

Unproven

Did FDR Tell People He ‘Murdered His Grandmother’ To See if They Were Listening? The anecdote first appeared in 1953.

Unproven

Did a Jewish Family Inspire Louis Armstrong’s Nickname, ‘Satchmo’? "I shall always love them," Armstrong once wrote of the Karnofskys of New Orleans.

Mostly False

Was a 1980s Meat Industry Ad Based on Nazi Propaganda? Surely not ... ?

Mostly True

Were Black World War II Veterans Excluded from GI Bill Benefits? After fighting wars abroad, Black former servicemen faced segregation, violence, and discrimination at home.

Mostly True

Did Slaves Help Build the U.S. Capitol? Many iconic buildings in Washington, D.C., used slave labor in their construction.

True