12 Historical Events That Defied The Narrative Taught By Our Teachers

Historical stories change as they're told and written down over the years.

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• April 1, 2024

As people go through school, there's a moment when they start to question what they're taught. Some realize slowly, while others suddenly see that not everything in their textbooks is true.

This shift from just believing what's said to thinking critically is a big step in growing smarter. It leads people to question old beliefs and think about what they're told is true history.

Historians are respected for recording the past, but they're not perfect. They're just people, and they can be influenced by their own biases and the time they live in.

Understanding this human side of history is important for seeing the truth behind the stories we're told. In history, some stories become so well-known that everyone believes them, even if they're not entirely true. But when we take a closer look, we can see cracks in these stories. They've been changed and exaggerated over time.

Think of it like the game of telephone you might have played as a kid. A message starts with one person and gets passed along, but by the end, it's usually different from how it started.

Similarly, historical stories change as they're told and written down over the years. To clear up these misunderstandings, we need to face these historical myths directly.

By questioning what we're told and looking for evidence, we can separate fact from fiction in history books.

1. "Betsy Ross created the first American flag."

Betsy Ross is widely credited with crafting the initial rendition of the American flag at the behest of the Continental Congress. However, historical records do not support the existence of a congressional committee tasked with flag creation in 1776, nor did Ross assert her role in its stitching. The first mention of her involvement came from her grandson.

2. "Edison created the lightbulb."

Although Edison is often credited with the commercial success of the first lightbulb, it wasn't his original invention. Sir Humphry Davy, an English scientist, pioneered arc lighting nearly four decades before the emergence of Edison's bulb.

3. "Marie Antoinette said,” Let them eat cake.”"

Jean Jacques Rousseau penned an account of a royal figure purportedly uttering the iconic phrase, "Then let them eat cake." While it has often been attributed to Marie Antoinette, historical chronology casts doubt upon this assumption.

At the time Rousseau wrote about the incident, Antoinette was merely 11 years old, and the eruption of the French Revolution followed nearly 23 years after the story's publication.

4. "King Arthur was real. "

King Arthur's initial historical mention arises within a compilation of tales penned by Welsh historian Nennius. These narratives, steeped in poetic flair, unfold across diverse landscapes, rendering it implausible for any singular figure to have graced every pivotal event and battlefield.

Notably, the sole contemporary document chronicling the Saxon Invasion remains conspicuously silent on his presence.

5. "Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride."

The sole account of Paul Revere embarking on his legendary midnight journey stems from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride." Penned more than 80 years after the purported event, it's acknowledged that Longfellow, being a poet rather than a historian, likely exercised artistic license for narrative embellishment.

6. "Napoleon was short."

Napoleon Bonaparte stood tall among his contemporaries, boasting a reported height of 5 feet and 7 inches. The notion of his diminutive stature originated from a moniker bestowed upon him in his early military career as a junior officer.

Referred to as the "Little Corporal," Napoleon's physical stature belied the grandeur of his ambitions and achievements.

7. "Baby Jesus was born on December 25."

Although Christmas commemorates the birth of Christ, the precise date remains uncertain. The Bible offers timelines of events, yet discrepancies arise.

For instance, shepherds were said to be tending their flocks by night at the time of the Lord's birth, a task unlikely to occur in December.

8. "Gladiators fought to the death."

In ancient Rome, gladiators were renowned as formidable warriors, yet not every encounter in the arena ended in fatality. A recent unearthing of a gravestone unveiled a trove of gladiator remains. While these bodies bore the scars of combat, they also exhibited substantial signs of recuperation, suggesting that their demise did not stem from Colosseum clashes. As per the History Channel, "Gladiatorial contests mandated a conclusive result, whether through injury or exhaustion of one of the combatants."

9. "Eve took a bite of an apple in the Garden of Eden."

In Genesis 3:3, the scripture simply speaks of "the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden" regarding Eve's consequential choice. It leaves room for speculation; perhaps Eve indulged in an orange or any other tree-borne fruit.

10. " Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear."

Renowned for his alleged self-mutilation, this artist's notoriety precedes him. Despite only achieving a single sale in his lifetime, contemporary accounts now suggest that Vincent van Gogh's infamous act may not have entailed the complete severing of his ear, but rather a portion of its lower lobe.

11. "Those accused of being witches in Salem were burned at the stake."

Among the accused in Salem's witch trials, a staggering majority of the 20 individuals faced the grim fate of execution by hanging. The origins of the horrifying practice of burning witches at the stake are traced back to the witch-hunting practices prevalent in Europe.

12. "Vikings wore horned helmets in battle."

Disregard any preconceived notions about Vikings. Though these fierce individuals may have donned helmets during combat, there is no substantiated evidence to support the notion of horned headgear. This misconception gained traction in the 1800s, fueled by depictions from Scandinavian artists.

This list of 12 historical stories that many people believe, even though they might not be true. By looking at them closely and questioning them, we can learn more about what happened in the past. It's important not to just accept things without thinking about them. We need to dig deeper and ask questions to understand history.

Damjan