18 Of The Most Common, Biggest "Historical Lies" That Are So Widespread, Most People Still Believe Them

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"Paul Revere rode astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic a girl, Sybyl Ludington, who rode farther and warned much people; but due to the fact that she's a woman, cipher knows astir her."

Recently, I wrote an article sharing "the biggest humanities prevarication that galore radical believe," and successful response, galore radical shared adjacent much examples of the "biggest humanities lies." I thought they were beauteous interesting; so, I decided to share. Here are immoderate of the best:

1. "The thought that corsets were restrictive torture devices that near women fainting and successful changeless pain. In reality, they were precursors to the modern bra, and are really incredibly supportive and sometimes adjacent much comfortable! Only a precise small, affluent enactment of women wore corsets to execute waist reduction. The remainder wore them conscionable arsenic a enactment and structural garment."

Woman successful elaborate 19th-century formal and chapeau stands confidently, with a gathering successful the background, exuding Victorian-era elegance

2. "It's mostly a story that radical burned women accused of witchcraft. Women AND men were hanged, pressed, and/or starved erstwhile accused. Burning was reserved for heresy against the Church (in Europe). One of my grandmothers was hanged astatine Salem successful 1692, and exonerated astir 300 years later."

Historical country of a antheral passionately addressing a crowd, lasting connected a platform, with divers men and women successful play covering listening attentively

3. "People inactive judge that Cleopatra was decidedly killed by a snake. There is inactive nary confirmation astir what specifically killed her."

A idiosyncratic successful ancient-inspired attire with golden accents lounges connected a decorative chair, exuding a consciousness of authorization and contemplation

4. "I hatred the information that radical deliberation everyone thought the Earth was level until comparatively recently. It's existent that Eratosthenes discovered the circumference of the Earth astir 240 BC. He was a marvel of a mathematician. It makes consciousness that galore radical assumed the Earth was flat, but the full satellite did not hide his discovery!"

Engraving of Eratosthenes, an past Greek scholar, successful illustration wrong an ornate circular frame, showing his beard and elaborate features

5. "People still believe that Ronald Reagan was liable for freeing the 52 American hostages held successful Iran successful 1979-1980."

A antheral successful a suit and necktie is smiling, lasting successful beforehand of a U.S. flag

6. "Vikings did not really deterioration horned helmets!!!"

Silhouette of a Viking helmet with horns against a fiery, smoky background

7. "Most radical believe that Jesus was calved connected December 25, but nary 1 really knows the day helium was born. Christmas was moved to December 25 by Emperor Constantine successful 325 AD to coincide with the festival of Saturnalia to person the Romans to Christianity."

Graphicaartis / Getty Images, Hill Street Studios / Getty Images

—Anonymous, 67, United Kingdom

8. "People inactive judge that the Wright brothers made the archetypal formation at Kitty Hawk. It was from Kill Devil Hills, wherever a Wright memorial is maintained by the National Park Service."

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—Anonymous, 82, Pennsylvania

Eric Vandeville / Getty Images, Print Collector / Getty Images

—Anonymous

10. "Vomitoriums were not rooms that gluttonous Romans would spell into successful bid to propulsion up. It’s simply the connection for a passageway successful oregon retired of amphitheaters oregon coliseums."

Ancient Roman fresco depicting mythological figures successful dynamic poses, partially damaged, from the Villa of Mysteries successful Pompeii

12. "Paul Revere rode astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic a girl, Sybyl Ludington, who rode farther and warned much people; but due to the fact that she's a woman, cipher knows astir her."

Paul Revere connected horseback warns townspeople of British troops' arrival, a pivotal infinitesimal successful the American Revolution

13. "People inactive deliberation Paul Revere shouted, 'The British are coming!' arsenic if the colonists wouldn't person inactive considered themselves British. What helium truly shouted was 'The Regulars are coming out.'"

A idiosyncratic successful 18th-century attire sits astatine a table, manus connected chin, holding a polished metallic teapot

14. "This story drives maine nuts: 'Kaiser Wilhelm II, Czar Nicholas II, and King George V were each archetypal cousins.'

Estate Of Emil Bieber / Getty Images, Xavier Rossi / Getty Images

"Laypeople and amateur historians alike judge this myth. Even Netflix-level historians get this wrong! This story is not true.

King George V was so archetypal cousins with some Kaiser Wilhelm (via Queen Victoria) and Czar Nicholas II. But Wilhelm and Nicholas were NOT archetypal cousins. They were related much distantly."

—lisafatgirlnamemcquade

15. "Edison was not the archetypal idiosyncratic to marque a question representation camera. Louis Le Prince did it first, but helium mysteriously disappeared earlier his invention could beryllium shown to the world."

A humanities representation of a antheral with a mustache and beard, wearing a suit with a bow necktie and holding a apical hat

16. "As an ex-Mormon, I personally cannot judge that truthful galore radical — including my ain friends and household — inactive judge successful the lies of Joseph Smith. He was a con antheral earlier helium 'discovered' the tablets. He joined children. He seems to beryllium specified an evident fraud, and yet helium was the laminitis of 1 of the large religions of the United States."

A humanities representation of a antheral successful 19th-century ceremonial attire with a high-collared garment and acheronian suit

17. "'Let them Eat Cake' was really, 'Let them Eat Brioche.' It originated successful Rousseau's Confessions, arsenic a punctuation from a princess, and furthermore, Confessions came retired erstwhile Marie Antoinette was a kid and hadn't yet been to France. The punctuation wasn't misattributed to her until good aft the revolution."

A classical coating shows a pistillate successful an ornate, humanities gown holding a rose, with an elaborate hairstyle adorned with a feather

18. And finally: "Some radical inactive judge that Columbus discovered America. Quite isolated from the natives who were determination anyway, Columbus wasn't the first European to acceptable ft successful the Americas."

"Columbus 1450-1506"

What are your thoughts? Let maine cognize successful the comments. Better yet, archer maine your ain humanities favored peeves that thrust you up the wall! I privation your deepest cuts.

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