History Archives

Did Marie Antoinette Say, ‘I Wasn’t Raised, I Was Built’? Her supposed callous remark to the starving masses about eating cake wasn't the only controversial...

Unproven

Yes, This Photograph Shows Bill Clinton Meeting JFK Clinton said the meeting inspired him to pursue a life of public service.

True

Was Annie Edson Taylor the 1st Person To Run Niagara Falls in a Barrel? A tethered harness reportedly kept the 63-year-old schoolteacher secure.

True

According to a meme Adolf Hitler said the words we tolerate no one in our ranks who attacks the ideas of Christianity and also said our movement is Christian all on October 27 1928 in Passau Germany.

Did Adolf Hitler Say ‘Our Movement Is Christian’? The quote in a viral meme with the Nazi leader's picture read: "We tolerate no...

Correct Attribution

Have Two McDonald’s-Containing Countries Ever Been at War with Each Other? Whether an economic theory involving McDonald's franchises and war literally holds true largely depends on...

False

Did Alfred Heineken Invent Bottle To Function as a Brick To Build Houses? The 1960s invention was meant to help issues of housing in impoverished countries.

True

Were ‘Cakewalks’ Dances Performed by Black Slaves on Plantations? Several readers asked us if the word — which is often used to describe something...

True

Did the US Airdrop Pianos for Soldiers During World War II? American soldiers needed a morale booster.

True

Did George Washington Actually Chop Down a Cherry Tree? A tale about honesty might have actually been very dishonest.

Unproven

A rumor claimed that Black slaves used cornrows to make maps and share information to help slaves escape to the North.

Did Maps in Cornrows Help Black Slaves Escape Slavery? A rumor on Facebook claimed that Black slaves would create maps in cornrows to help...

Research In Progress

The world's largest log cabin was not Portland Oregon's Forestry Building but instead the Old Faithful Inn.

Was ‘World’s Largest Log Cabin’ Oregon’s Forestry Building? A picture of two children posing with a balloon in front of Oregon's massive Forestry...

Miscaptioned

Does Pic Show Ella Fitzgerald Arrested for Singing to Integrated Audience? “I have nothing to say,” she reportedly told journalists at the time.

Mixture