Is Abraham Lincoln in the Wrestling Hall of Fame?
3 May 2018A popular meme contained a mixture of myth, rumor, and facts (as well as a ridiculous digitally edited image) about the legendary United States president.
Latest in History
Did the Census Bureau Play a Role in the Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II?
13 April 2018Objections to questions about citizenship on 2020 census forms stem from fears that the data might be shared with other agencies, as reportedly took place in World War II.
Did a Woman Survive the Titanic, Hindenburg, Pearl Harbor, and 9/11?
12 April 2018The life story of Anna Mae Dickinson, dubbed the "luckiest woman alive," is amazing — and fictional.
Did Armed Delaware Students Scare Off a School Shooter in 1973?
19 June 2018A pro-gun rights meme gets some facts right, but it misrepresents the truth behind an old high school yearbook photograph.
Was the NRA Founded to Protect Black People from the Ku Klux Klan?
29 March 2018Revisionist accounts of the origin of the National Rifle Association say it was formed to help freed slaves defend themselves against racist attacks after the Civil War.
Did President Nixon Hide Proof of Alien Life in a Time Capsule?
23 March 2018A shadowy Watergate-era figure who claims he had personal access to Richard Nixon says the president showed him a letter confirming the existence of extraterrestrials.
Did Abraham Lincoln Order the Execution of 38 Dakota Fighters?
14 March 2018After a violent Native American uprising in 1862, President Lincoln signed off on 39 executions but also prevented the deaths of 264 other Dakota combatants.
Have Amelia Earhart’s Remains Been Located?
24 March 2018Despite a flurry of reporting to the contrary, the mystery of Earhart’s final resting place has not been — and may never be — solved.
Stephen Hawking at a Vietnam War Protest?
14 March 2018An image misidentifying a man at a Vietnam War protest as Stephen Hawking went viral after the theoretical physicist's death in March 2018.
Did the Kray Twins Use an Elephant to Rob a London Tram?
7 March 2018An image of an elephant standing near a tram in London is frequently shared with a fictional backstory about English twin gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray.
Was a Violently Racist Carnival Game Once Popular in America?
26 February 2018In the not-so-distant past, white carnival goers threw eggs or balls at African Americans in a game popularly known as "Hit the N----- Baby."
Were Alligators Ever Kept as White House Pets?
19 February 2018According to popular lore, an assortment of United States presidents from John Quincy Adams to Herbert Hoover shared space in the West Wing with giant reptiles.
Latest Fact Checks View all
Is This a Transcript from a Radio Interview with U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez?
19 July 2019Absent proper context and punctuation, oral speech can be made to come across pretty silly.
Did Lawmakers Demand the Pentagon Disclose If It Developed Weaponized Ticks?
19 July 2019A curious amendment to the 2020 Defense Authorization Act demands answers on the question of U.S.-developed insect bioweapons.
Was a Priest Pushed off Stage for Saying ‘Fat Women Cannot Go to Heaven?’
19 July 2019This incident reportedly occurred during the closing mass of a youth retreat in Brazil.
Did Fox News Report That U.S. Rep. Omar Delivered a “Profanity-Laced Attack on President Trump”?
19 July 2019Does quoting some else's words back to them constitute a breach of decorum?
Did Minnesota Schools Make Arabic Classes Mandatory?
19 July 2019A site posing as satire often pushes racial rumors.