History Archives - Snopes.com

Was Kissing Through Handkerchiefs Advised During 1918 Pandemic? "Want to Kiss and Escape Grip? Use Handkerchief!"

True

lincoln lincoln's lincolns last words final jerusalem holy land mary todd

Were These Abraham Lincoln’s Last Words? Rumors of the former president's last words spoken in Ford's Theatre led us to consult...

Unproven

Does California Have an Abandoned City Near Joshua Tree? It’s been dubbed the biggest abandoned ghost town in the U.S.

True

Was the Last Violent Breach of the Capitol by the British in 1814? British troops set fire to the building in August of that year.

True

Is Times Square Closed to Crowds on New Year’s for First Time in History? The ball drop on New Year's Eve is going to look a little different in...

True

Do These 1920s News Clippings Resemble 2020 Talk? Twitter users enjoyed what appeared to be amusing parallels between the end of 2020 and...

True

Does Google Earth Reveal a Sunken Ship in a Japanese Port? Contrary to TikTok shenanigans, the boat is neither the RMS Titanic nor the Ottoman frigate...

False

Did Helen Keller Fly a Plane? An unknown childhood illness left the 19-month-old girl without her sight or hearing.

True

Is This 1882 Patent for a Mousetrap Featuring a Loaded Gun Real? Innovators are always seeking a better way to build to a mousetrap.

True

Was ‘Fort Blunder’ Built on the Wrong Side of the Border? After construction, it was decided that it would be easier to move the border than...

Mostly True

Divers Exploring Titanic Make ‘Deeply Shocking’ New Discovery? An 80-page story said that a "deeply shocking," "haunting," and "spine-chilling" new discovery had been...

Mixture

Did Congress Expel 14 Members for Supporting Confederacy, Not Acknowledging Lincoln as President? There is a history of House and Senate members being kicked out, but did the...

Mixture