History

Knights weren’t always the noble, honorable figures we imagine today. They were raised and trained for battle, and warfare was their primary skill.

Driven by a desire for power and wealth, many often misused their abilities. The chivalrous image we know largely comes from romanticized medieval literature.

A full suit of steel plate armor typically weighed between 15–25 kilograms—less than what modern firefighters carry and similar to the loadout of today’s soldiers.

Contrary to popular belief, this armor wasn’t rare.

In fact, during the 15th century, around 60–70% of French troops fought on foot wearing full armor, as did English soldiers during the Wars of the Roses.

This human-sized iron box lined with interior spikes—often imagined as delivering a slow, agonizing death—has an uncertain place in actual history. While it’s a chilling image, its use may be more myth than fact.

Likewise, infamous methods like the rack or public beheadings weren’t as common as many believe. Most condemned prisoners typically faced the hangman’s noose.

While modern portrayals of the Middle Ages often focus on monsters and mythological beasts, the people of that era were far more concerned with real-world dangers like criminals and the threat of war.

At most, maps from the time might label certain areas as hazardous—but not because of fantastical creatures.

People in the Middle Ages weren’t uneducated savages, and cutlery wasn’t exclusive to royalty. Spoons, in fact, are among the oldest known utensils.

Archaeological finds date them back to around 1000 BCE in Ancient Egypt, where they were crafted from ivory, wood, and slate.

Bronze and silver spoons have also been uncovered in regions once ruled by the Greek and Roman Empires.

Flails, with their spiked heads connected to handles by chains, were designed to strike around shields or bypass a parry. However, their practicality is heavily debated.

Many historians believe flails were either rarely used or even invented by later generations for dramatic effect.

Due to their unwieldy nature and inefficiency in real combat, they likely saw little actual use—though pop culture, like Game of Thrones, certainly made them look far more deadly than they ever were.

The image of women being routinely burned at the stake for witchcraft is largely exaggerated. In reality, such executions were not widespread, and even the Catholic Church often opposed the practice.

When women were accused of witchcraft, they were more commonly sentenced to hanging rather than burning.

Despite periods of conflict, Christianity and Islam also experienced times of peace and cooperation during the Middle Ages. Christian and Muslim rulers often hired one another’s scholars, advisors, and even warriors.

Trade between the two cultures remained active, even amid battles, showing that coexistence was very much a part of the era.

January 1, 1000 was long rumored to be the date of the apocalypse, with stories claiming that people gave up their jobs, sold their belongings, and traveled to the Holy Land in anticipation of Christ’s return.

However, this narrative is widely debated.

In truth, most people at the time were focused on survival and relied more on practical common sense than unquestioning obedience to apocalyptic predictions from the Church.

Many myths and legends have surrounded the infamous Vikings, but one of the more gruesome tales—that they drank from human skulls—lacks any real evidence.

In reality, Vikings were more likely to drink from animal horns, such as those from goats or cattle, rather than human remains.

Communities during the Middle Ages invested significant effort and resources to secure access to clean drinking water. For a long time, the lack of references to water in historical records led many historians to assume that people mainly drank wine or beer.

However, recent research shows that clean water was highly valued and carefully managed, even if it wasn’t often mentioned in surviving texts.

The role of cavalry in the Middle Ages has often been overstated. Knights were never the main force in armies—they were simply too costly to deploy in large numbers

Instead, the bulk of medieval European armies consisted of foot soldiers.

The Vikings reached the Americas roughly 500 years before Christopher Columbus. Historical consensus confirms that Norse explorers arrived by the late 10th century, beating Columbus to the New World by half a millennium.

A common myth is that people in the Middle Ages died very young. In reality, many lived into their 50s and 60s.

The difference was that illnesses we consider minor or treatable today were often fatal back then.

The image of Vikings wearing horned helmets is a myth—there’s no historical evidence they ever did. In fact, Vikings rarely wore helmets at all, and only one authentic Viking helmet has ever been found.

When they did wear helmets, they were typically made of iron or leather, chosen for their lighter weight and practicality.

A person’s scent could greatly impact their social standing during the Middle Ages. Public saunas and bathhouses were widespread, and even London brothels mandated that patrons bathe before entering.

Contrary to popular belief, people in the Middle Ages were not unhygienic.

Chastity belts were originally intended as a satirical commentary on society’s obsession with female purity and virginity. While they symbolized enforced chastity, the designs were often exaggerated—and yet some took the concept far too literally.

Greek scientists as early as the 6th century BCE understood that the Earth was spherical—a fact that remained widely accepted throughout the Middle Ages.

Contrary to popular belief, the Church also taught that the Earth was round during this period.

After their expulsion from Spain, Jewish communities spread across Europe and North Africa. At the same time, migrants from Central Asia settled in Eastern Europe, establishing communities in areas like modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and the Caucasus.

While tensions and discrimination existed, racial slavery was not part of this period, and many communities managed to coexist peacefully.

When Pluto lost its planetary status, many of us were genuinely shocked—and maybe a little disappointed. While it’s mildly satisfying to know our teachers were wrong, it doesn’t really ease the sting of losing a beloved “ninth planet.”

Asking questions should always be encouraged—it shows curiosity and a desire to learn. That said, there’s a fine line between genuine inquiry and questions meant to provoke, mislead, or invade personal space. Not every question deserves an answer.

Before smartphones and instant access to Google, it was easy for adults to say things that kids wouldn’t question. Take joint cracking, for instance—despite warnings, it doesn’t cause arthritis. The sound you hear isn’t your bones grinding, and science confirms it’s harmless.

It’s a common mistake to think Shakespeare wrote in Old English, but that’s far from the truth. His works were written in Early Modern English, which, while poetic, is still recognizable to us today. And the word “Ye”? That’s actually “the,” a quirky printing habit rather than old pronunciation.

Cursive writing started its slow fade with the invention of the ballpoint pen, which made fast, messy handwriting easier to read. Since then, teachers have found it harder to convince students of cursive’s importance—especially in a world increasingly reliant on digital communication.

Textbooks often show Isaac Newton being bonked on the head by an apple, but that’s more storytelling than fact. While falling apples may have inspired his thoughts on gravity, there’s no actual record of one striking him.

We’ve heard plenty of exaggerated tales about the Founding Fathers, but one that’s clearly false is the idea that George Washington had wooden teeth. He did have dentures—but they were made from a mix of ivory, metal, and other materials, not wood.

Despite popular depictions, the Salem witch trials did not involve any burnings at the stake. Historical records show that while some women were jailed and a few died, none were executed in that way. Still, it remains a tragic reminder of fear-driven injustice.

Memorizing facts has its place, but many students struggle with how heavily schools rely on rote learning. With search engines just a tap away, knowing how to think critically and apply knowledge often proves far more useful than simply reciting facts.

Remember being warned that acting silly would haunt you for life? Turns out, puffing your cheeks or sticking out your tongue doesn’t have long-term consequences. It might be impolite, but it’s hardly life-defining behavior.

Napoleon is often remembered as being unusually short, but he was actually of average height for his era—around 5’7”. However, he did play a part in popularizing food preservation, helping develop early canning methods that are still used today.

The horned Viking helmet is one of history’s most enduring myths, thanks largely to theatrical costumes in 19th-century operas. In reality, Viking warriors wouldn’t have worn impractical headgear that made them easier to grab in battle.

The tale of the Trojan Horse has become a legendary symbol of clever deception. However, the original story from The Iliad has been modified and romanticized through centuries of storytelling. It’s likely the “horse” was never literal—possibly a ship or siege device instead.

Some still like to believe that we can live independently of technology, but the truth is, it’s deeply woven into our daily routines. While our basic survival doesn’t hinge on it, we rely on tech in almost every aspect of modern life. Educators should acknowledge and adapt to that reality.

The “i before e except after c” rule is one of those spelling tips that sounds helpful in theory but falls apart in practice. While it’s meant to simplify things, there are actually more exceptions than cases where it applies, leaving many students confused and better off just memorizing word patterns instead.

It’s a common misconception that hair and nails keep growing after death. In reality, what happens is the skin dehydrates and recedes, exposing more of the nail or hair and creating the illusion of growth. The truth is, once a person dies, these processes stop entirely.

Fire drills play an important role in school safety, and one or two are usually enough to teach the basics: exit calmly and know where to gather. After that, most drills are just brief interruptions where students line up outside for attendance—a small inconvenience for a worthwhile safety precaution.

By the time you’re applying for jobs in adulthood, no one’s going to be checking on your behavior from second grade. Unless your elementary school record includes arson or violent incidents, your professional future isn’t hinging on how well-behaved you were in Miss Robinson’s class.

The U.S. uses a unique mix of measurement systems, combining elements from both imperial and metric. While this blend can seem confusing at times, it reflects a practical approach—whether it’s using miles for distance or grams in recipes, most people adapt to using both depending on the task.

If someone tells you high school is the best time of your life, don’t believe them. Life doesn’t peak at 17—it keeps evolving. There’s plenty of room for personal growth, meaningful relationships, and new adventures well into adulthood and beyond.

Sure, being able to run several miles could be useful in some wild, hypothetical situation. But realistically, most emergencies won’t demand Olympic-level cardio. Staying active and being able to walk briskly or react quickly is usually enough for day-to-day fitness and safety.

Some of history’s most well-known explorers were, ironically, lost when they made their greatest discoveries—even with maps and experts at their side. So if you ever find yourself without GPS, just remember: understanding your surroundings is often more useful than struggling with a complicated, outdated map.

The myth that carrots improve night vision dates back to WWII, when British military success at night was attributed to eating carrots. In truth, the real advantage was secret radar technology. The carrot story was a clever cover, but nutritionally, they don’t do anything special for your eyesight after dark.

It’s often claimed that Columbus discovered America, but that’s historically inaccurate. He never set foot on what is now the United States; instead, his journeys took him to the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. These regions were already home to thriving civilizations long before his arrival.

The Iron Maiden is often cited as one of the most horrifying torture devices from Medieval times, but its infamous reputation is mostly fiction. References to it didn’t appear until centuries later, and there’s no evidence that it was ever actually used as a widespread method of torture.

You may have heard that Orson Welles caused mass panic with his War of the Worlds radio broadcast in 1938, but that story has been greatly exaggerated. There’s little evidence of widespread hysteria—most listeners knew it was a performance, and the drama was likely fueled by newspaper headlines rather than real public reaction.

Thomas Edison is often credited with inventing the lightbulb, but the truth is more nuanced. He was the 24th person to develop a version of it. His true genius lay in refining the design and creating a system to produce and distribute it on a large scale.

Contrary to popular belief, people in the Middle Ages didn’t widely believe the Earth was flat. Scholars as far back as ancient Greece had proposed a spherical Earth, with surprisingly accurate calculations of its size. The flat-Earth myth is largely a modern misunderstanding of medieval knowledge.

To spark student interest, some music teachers repeat the dramatic claim that the tritone—a specific dissonant musical interval—was banned by the Church. While it’s a colorful tale, it’s not true. The so-called “devil in music” was used in sacred compositions, proving it was never officially outlawed.

We often hear that dinosaurs went extinct 65 million years ago when a massive asteroid wiped them out. While that event did cause the downfall of many species, the story doesn’t end there. Today’s birds actually share a surprising amount of genetic material with dinosaurs, making them the living descendants of those ancient creatures.

You may have heard that toilets flush in different directions depending on which hemisphere you’re in, thanks to the Coriolis effect. While the Coriolis force does influence large weather systems like hurricanes, it’s far too weak to affect the small-scale movement of water in a toilet bowl. So, this bit of bathroom trivia is just plain wrong.

The brain is astonishing in its capabilities, from solving cosmic puzzles to producing cinematic masterpieces. But the popular notion that people are strictly “left-brained” or “right-brained” is overly simplistic. While certain areas of the brain do specialize in specific tasks, the two hemispheres constantly work together, making the theory more fiction than fact.

School is full of unexpected comedy—from a witty comment to someone tripping in the hallway. These moments can genuinely be funny, and there’s no shame in enjoying them. Teachers likely find the humor just as entertaining, even if they’re often required to keep a straight face for the sake of classroom order.

Blood may appear different under certain conditions, but it never actually turns blue. The color variation comes from how oxygen-rich it is—oxygenated blood is bright red, while deoxygenated blood is darker. Veins look blue because of how light interacts with your skin, not because of the actual color of the blood inside.

You might remember those colorful diagrams of the tongue split into flavor zones—sweet in the front, bitter at the back—but they’re outdated. In reality, taste buds capable of detecting all major tastes are scattered across your tongue, not confined to specific sections.

Many kids were warned that swallowing gum would leave it sitting in their stomachs for years. The truth is far less dramatic—although gum isn’t digestible, it doesn’t stick around for long. Your body will simply pass it through your system within a few days like most other things it can’t break down.

The idea that we only use 10% of our brains has been repeated for decades, but modern science proves otherwise. Brain scans show that even routine tasks engage multiple areas of the brain at once. It turns out that your brain is far more active—and efficient—than that old myth gives it credit for.

It’s often said that you can’t fold a piece of paper more than seven times, but that’s not entirely true. While it becomes increasingly difficult due to exponential thickness, it’s not impossible. In fact, in 2002, a high school student named Britney Gallivan proved the myth wrong by folding a sheet 12 times, setting a world record in the process.

When the school bell rings, it marks the official end of class—not just a suggestion. Regardless of whether there’s more to say, students have schedules to follow, buses to catch, and lives beyond that extra minute. Time management is part of the job, and the bell isn’t up for debate.

Before his acting career took off, Steve Buscemi served as a firefighter with the New York City Fire Department. On September 12, 2001, the day after the attacks on the World Trade Center, he quietly returned to his former firehouse.

Without seeking attention, Buscemi worked 12-hour shifts alongside other firefighters, digging through the rubble in search of survivors. He declined interviews and photos, wanting no distractions—just to help.

A true hero in every sense.

By the time the United States entered World War II, Jimmy Stewart was already a Hollywood star, known for films like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and You Can’t Take It With You. But when duty called, he didn’t hesitate to serve.

Stewart joined the U.S. Army Air Forces and became a skilled pilot, carrying out bombing missions and facing attacks from the Luftwaffe. The Germans had no idea that the man leading those flights was a famous actor.

He earned multiple military honors for his service—then quietly returned to his acting career.

Samuel L. Jackson once served as an usher at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral—a moment that deeply impacted him and sparked his political awakening. Motivated by the experience, he enrolled at Morehouse College and became involved in student activism.

Along with a group of students, Jackson took the college board hostage in protest of the school’s curriculum. Interestingly, one of the board members present was Martin Luther King Sr.

The protest led to Jackson’s expulsion from Morehouse, though he would later return to finish his degree.

In the documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, a young and beaming Sigourney Weaver can be spotted in the crowd during the band’s legendary 1964 performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

Weaver later confirmed she was indeed there—just 14 years old at the time, soaking in the excitement of Beatlemania.

George Takei, one of the most prominent Japanese-American actors in history, spent part of his childhood in an internment camp in Arkansas during World War II.

He and his family, like over 100,000 other Japanese Americans, were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated by the U.S. government.

The Takeis lost everything. When their imprisonment finally ended, the family was given just “\$20 and a one-way ticket to anywhere in the United States.”

Before the Titanic tragedy, the White Star Line faced another serious incident. On May 19, 1887, in thick fog, the Celtic collided with the Britannic, resulting in six deaths and numerous injuries.

Fortunately, both ships remained afloat. Among the youngest survivors was 2-year-old Eleanor Roosevelt.

The experience reportedly left her with a lasting fear of ships—and of the ocean itself.

Sir Alec Guinness served as an officer in the Royal Navy during World War II, commanding a landing craft that brought infantry ashore during major invasions—including Sicily, Elbe, and Normandy.

Fittingly, much like his iconic role as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Guinness led troops across challenging terrain—always seeking the high ground, both in battle and in character.

Before becoming a household name on Wheel of Fortune, Pat Sajak served in the Vietnam War—though not on the front lines.

He was stationed in Saigon, where he worked as a DJ for the American Forces Vietnam Network, spinning records and entertaining the troops.

Sajak later described his time there as “relatively soft duty,” but it was still a unique chapter in his life before fame.

Before becoming a baseball legend, Lawrence “Yogi” Berra joined the U.S. Navy in 1943 at just 18 years old.

Less than a year later, he found himself participating in the D-Day invasion, providing fire support for Allied forces from a rocket boat—despite not even knowing what a rocket boat was when he signed up.

Jet Li and his family were among those caught in the devastating 2004 earthquake and tsunami that claimed over 200,000 lives. Li was with his children and their nanny when the tsunami hit.

Acting quickly, they grabbed the kids and ran toward their hotel for safety, while nearby bystanders swam out to help in the rescue efforts.

When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, thousands were forced to evacuate—but rock-and-roll legend Antoine “Fats” Domino chose to stay.

At 77 years old, he believed he could ride it out like he had in past storms. However, Katrina devastated his home, and Domino had to be rescued by helicopter.

Sir Michael Caine was just 18 and fresh out of school when he served in the Korean War. As a British Army soldier in the early 1950s, he found himself in combat against Chinese forces.

Caine later recalled a moment when he came dangerously close to being killed—a harrowing experience that left a lasting impression long before he became a film star.

James Doohan, best known as Scotty from Star Trek, was a real-life war hero before he ever stepped on a soundstage. On D-Day during World War II, he led his Canadian regiment through a minefield and took out two German snipers.

Tragically, he was later hit by friendly fire—shot six times by a fellow Canadian. Four bullets struck his leg, one severed a finger, and another hit his chest.

Remarkably, a cigarette case in his breast pocket stopped the final round, saving his life—just like something out of a movie.

The assassination of John F. Kennedy remains a defining moment in American history. While actor Bill Paxton didn’t witness the tragic event itself, he saw President Kennedy just hours before the shooting.

On the morning of November 22, 1963, 8-year-old Paxton joined his father and brother to watch Kennedy speak at a hotel in Fort Worth, Texas.

Shortly after that appearance, Kennedy left for Dallas—where the heartbreaking public assassination occurred later that day.