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Is the Presidential '20-Year Death Curse' Real?

Written by:
Snopes Staff Barbara Mikkelson
Oct 30, 2000 Does a death curse threaten U.S. presidents elected in years evenly divisible by 20?
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PEZ began in 1927 as an Austrian manufacturer and vendor of compressed peppermint tablets (hence its name, taken from Pfefferminz, the German word for “peppermint”).

Was Betsy Ross the Only Real Person Depicted On a PEZ Dispenser?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Jan 10, 2002 In American history, Ross is something of a legend — a craftswoman who made flags.
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Are John Tyler's Grandchildren Still Alive?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Dec 20, 2013 John Tyler might not be remembered much at all today were it not for a shocking twist of fate.
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Pile of buttons reading "VOTE."

Must the President and Vice-President Be from Different States?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Jun 16, 2008 Many people believe the U.S. constitution requires that presidential and vice-presidential candi ...
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50 Short Stories About US Presidents

Written by:
Jessica Lee
Feb 16, 2022 With tales of alleged affairs, drunken decisions, and pet alligators, some of these anecdotes ar ...
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Was a Violently Racist Carnival Game Once Popular in America?

Written by:
Dan MacGuill
Feb 26, 2018 In the not-so-distant past, white carnival goers threw eggs or balls at African Americans in a g ...
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Were 'Highway Closed in Event of Enemy Attack' Signs Posted During the Cold War?

Written by:
David Emery
Aug 4, 2017 Early 1950s efforts to prepare Americans for nuclear war included the erection of signs giving a ...
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Did George Washington Have Wooden Teeth?

Written by:
David Emery
Dec 20, 2016 We cannot tell a lie: George Washington's false teeth weren't made out of wood, though the mater ...
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Were There Irish Slaves in America, Too?

Written by:
David Emery
Sep 23, 2016 Questionable sources maintain that the plight of so-called "Irish slaves" in early America was w ...
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Native American Student Punished for Refusing to Say Pledge of Allegiance

Written by:
Bethania Palma
Aug 30, 2016 Leilani Thomas said her teacher docked her grades because she refuses to participate in the dail ...
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Cocktails Came Out of Prohibition?

Written by:
Brooke Binkowski
Apr 14, 2016 A long-running claim that cocktails were an entirely American invention appears to be something ...
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Text, Paper, Business Card

Was 'Amazing Grace' Penned By a Repentant Slave Trader?

Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
Jul 18, 2001 The inspiration for this well-known piece of sacred music purportedly struck after a life-alteri ...
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The Wilson Desk

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Aug 16, 2007 President Richard M. Nixon used the wrong 'Wilson desk' in the White House.
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George Washington's Vision

Written by:
David Mikkelson
May 13, 2002 Did George Washington tell of an angel who revealed a prophetic vision of America to him at Vall ...
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Does the U.S. Presidential Seal Change in Wartime?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Nov 4, 2001 History buffs love to pass around this rumor.
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Statue of Liberty Origins

Written by:
Barbara Mikkelson
Feb 13, 2000 Was the model for the Statue of Liberty a chain-laden black woman?
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The Price They Paid

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Jun 27, 2005 A popular essay outlines the fates of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, but many o ...
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Is This Viral List of 'Four Things You Didn't Know About Martin Luther King, Jr.' True?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Jul 19, 2003 You probably didn't know most of them because they're not true.
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Are These 'Coincidences' Linking Lincoln to Kennedy Real?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Jun 11, 1999 Numerous 'coincidences' between the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations are not really so amazing.
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Why Does Washington, D.C., Have No 'J' Street?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Jan 21, 2000 Old historical legends holds that architect Pierre L'Enfant omitted 'J' Street from his plans fo ...
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Facebook posts said there was very sad news and that Bruce Willis was dead, but it was a death hoax.

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