Historical Events That Never Happened pt 3of3

This is the final week of my 3-part blog presenting some of the misinformation about historical events through the ages.

27.  The First Thanksgiving

Contrary to popular belief, the name “Thanksgiving” wasn’t coined during colonial times but later in 1863, with Abraham Lincoln hoping to inspire people to be more thankful. Furthermore, while Thanksgiving is often associated with a meal involving turkey, there isn’t any evidence that turkey was a staple dish, but instead were animals such as geese, swan, and venison.

There wasn’t any cranberry sauce or potatoes, either. Potatoes weren’t consumed in Massachusetts at the time, and nobody had yet discovered how to boil cranberries with sugar.

28.  Ferdinand Magellan Was The First Person To Sail Around The World

Ferdinand Magellan is credited in the history books as being the first person to circumnavigate the globe. Yet, that isn’t entirely true, although he did come close. In 1519, Magellan set out to complete this task to lead his crew across the Atlantic, through South America, and over the Pacific Ocean.

Unfortunately, for Magellan, he was killed in the Philippines by a group of natives. So, when his ship returned to Spain in 1522, completing the circumnavigation, he wasn’t alive to complete the journey. Incredibly, only 18 of the crew of 260 made it back, so it was these men that were first to accomplish this daunting task.

29.  Albert Einstein Failed Math As A Child

As it turns out, the story of Albert Einstein failing math as a young student is nothing more than a lesson that just because you’re not good at something at first doesn’t mean you won’t ever be. Nevertheless, according to the Washington Post, the rumors that he was a lousy student in his youth have been blown out of proportion over the years.

Supposedly, he was incredibly intelligent for his age. Yet, he did fail one thing in his youth, which was the entrance exam to Zurich Polytechnic, which he supposedly failed because of the French portion, a language he hardly studied.

30.  The Wild West Was A Rough And Tough Place

Throughout history and even pop culture, the U.S. Wild West is depicted as a rough place where no one really wants to live. It was portrayed as being filled with outlaws, gunslingers, and lots of saloons, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and many other actors had a knack for making the west look very dangerous. However, that’s not actually the case.

As it turns out, the Wild West in the 1800s was a very peaceful area, with residents more interested in their cattle and mining rather than dueling with someone who looks at them wrong. While death and murder were inevitable, only 0.1 percent of people in the Wild West were killed per year.

31.  Medieval Games Were Dangerous

One way to bring knights together in medieval Europe was through war games. While these games were thought to be dangerous and sometimes deadly, that wasn’t necessarily true. Games are thought to have included competitions such as sword fighting and even jousting. In reality, they were nothing more than family-friendly sporting events.

Some of the popular games included horseshoes, bowling, and even tennis, nothing that would hurt one of the participants. City and village authorities were even known to shut down an event if they thought it was too dangerous for the men involved.

32.  Betty Crocker Is A Real Person And Makes Delicious Desserts

Betty Crocker and desserts go hand in hand, especially when you’re baking, and her name is right there on the box. It feels as though she is helping you along with the ingredients. The only issue is, history never told us that Betty Crocker isn’t a real person.

Created by Marjorie Husted for a Washburn Crosby Company campaign, the name was chosen because it sounded wholesome and, for lack of a better term, grandmotherly. Of course, from there, Betty became an icon, appearing in various mediums across pop culture. Apparently, the exposure doesn’t make her a real person!

33.  Everything About The Trojan War

From stories to pop culture, there is a lot on the Trojan War. But one aspect of the event tends to slip people’s minds—it is based on Greek mythology and not historical fact. From generation to generation, the stories surrounding the war were verbally passed down and embellished to the point of turning into fiction.

Historians agree that due to the verbal communication, the Trojan War, as we know it today, is pretty much the ramblings of people who wanted to tell a good story. From the infamous Trojan Horse to the 1,186 ships that entered Troy, most of the rich details are ground in fiction. However, that does not negate the facts that the ruins of Troy were discovered and excavated as an archeological dig proving that Troy was a real place.

34.  The Brontosaurus Was A Living Dinosaur

Since the Flintstones had a pet Brontosaurus, it means they’re real, right? Wrong! Well, sort of. The first discovery of Brontosaurus bones made by paleontologist O.C. Marsh wound up being an error. During a time known as “The Bone Wars,” Marsh wanted to gain the upper hand on his competition, Edward Drinker Cope.

In doing so, Marsh wound up misidentifying a bone, saying that it was from a Brontosaurus, a creature that hadn’t been discovered yet. In reality, the bone was from an Apatosaurus. Thankfully, in 2015, researchers decided that there was enough evidence to warrant a separate classification of dinosaur, the Brontosaurus, and Apatosaurus.

35.  The Use Of Iron Maidens

In medieval times, there were various instruments used for torture. One of these devices was the Iron Maiden, an iron chamber designed in the shape of a woman with spikes on the inside of its hinged doors. While museums seem to think the chamber was commonplace in medieval times, that’s not necessarily true.

Even though the Iron Maiden is supposedly a medieval tool, the first mention of it isn’t until1790, when German philosopher Johann Philipp Siebenkees noted it in one of his journals. And even though he said a criminal was put inside one of the torture chambers 200 years earlier, historians haven't found any proof of this and believe his tale is a bit fabricated.

36.  George Washington Had Wooden Teeth

In grade school, many books and lessons revolve around George Washington including the alleged facts such as his wooden teeth. It’s a widely known fact in the United States! While the former president did have dental issues for most of his life, none of Washington’s dentures were made of wood.

Various materials were used to mold Washington’s teeth, including various types of metal and even animal bone, but his “orthodontist” never used wood for a mold. There is a pair of Washington’s dentures still available for public viewing at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. These, in particular, are made of human, cow, donkey, and horse teeth—but no wood.

37.  Chastity Belts For Wives And Daughters

In Medieval Europe, one device that husbands and fathers used on their wives and daughters to protect them was something called a chastity belt. These devices were to stop any unwanted advances, as they were pretty much metal undergarments that couldn’t be opened without a key. It sounds like a bad joke, right? Well, that’s actually what a chastity belt was.

In the 16th century Europe, chastity belts were nothing more than a cheap laugh for people. On the few in their possession, the British Museum has said, “[they] were made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as curiosities for the prurient, or as jokes for the tasteless.”

38.  King Arthur Won Against An Invasion Of Anglo-Saxons

There are many books, myths, and even television shows and movies illustrating the bravery of King Arthur and his knights of the round table. History has told us that the man known as Arthur was the beloved king of Camelot, heroically defeating an advance of Anglo-Saxons during the 5th or 6th century.

While the battle has been written about in books, historians believe the inclusion wasn't added until 100 years later. That means the story of King Arthur is wildly embellished, with many historians believing the King of Camelot never existed, since his name isn’t mentioned in ancient texts between A.D. 400 and A.D. 800.

39.  Dr. Seuss Said The Quote “Those Who Mind Don’t Matter, And Those Who Matter Don’t Mind”

Children’s book author and exceptional linguist Dr. Seuss is credited with many rhymes and lyrical phrases. One that he's often credited with is, “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” And while the phrase sounds like something out of All The Places You’ll Go, Dr. Suess didn’t write it.

The quote was actually said by someone else entirely, American financier Bernard Baruch. He was discussing the importance of authenticity while facing down public scrutiny. The concept is certainly not something that is outwardly said in any of the Dr. Seuss books we’ve come across.