Misconceptions

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The "butterfly effect" may not mean exactly what you think. Here's the story behind the phrase's creation, along with an explanation of how it has become oversimplified in pop culture.

How accurate is Charles Dickens’s "A Tale of Two Cities"? See what the novel gets right about the French Revolution—and where it takes some liberties.

'Six' has made audiences fall in love with Henry VIII's wives, but its depiction of their lives doesn't always agree with the historical record.

In a world without modern medicine or vaccines, Medieval populations stricken by the plague turned to strange and desperate remedies they hoped would save their lives.

Here are four misconceptions about the legendary frontier hero you may know as Davy Crockett, from his actual name to whether he died fighting at the Alamo.

Not everything you see in movies and TV shows about gladiators are true. We debunk five misconceptions here.

From the myth of the "evil twin" to the possibility of telepathy, twins are often subject to various myths and misconceptions.

Alfred Hitchcock helped popularize the modern mimosa. Discover how the famous director became unexpectedly connected to the brunch cocktail.

Charles Manson may not have been the clinically insane person or criminal mastermind you may think he was. Here are seven things people get wrong about Manson, his Family, and the Tate-LaBianca murders.

The Victorian Era might not have been as gloomy or prudish as some films make it seem.

From blacksmiths to cowboys, these essential jobs defined everyday life on the rugged frontier.

The historical narrative that began with one Italian scholar and lasted for centuries.

Did Homer get Greek history right? Explore what 'The Odyssey' reveals about ancient hospitality, sailing, armor, and Bronze Age historical blunders.

The Wild West is associated with lawlessness, near constant violence, dusty towns filled with gun-toting, and Stetson-wearing cowboys. But just how much of this image is true?

How a single word changed the meaning of one of history's most famous phrases.

Ernest Hemingway is famous for his drinking, but he never said "write drunk, edit sober." Discover the true, surprising origin of this legendary literary myth.

Most of our ideas of what ancient Greece was like come from Hollywood's misrepresentations.

Life on the American frontier was filled with dangers, and many settlers relied on strange beliefs to make sense of them.

In medieval Europe, couples sometimes got married without attending their own wedding. Here's how proxy marriages actually worked.

That motivational Henry David Thoreau quote might actually be a dupe. From "go confidently in the direction of your dreams" to "happiness is like a butterfly," these lines were never said by Thoreau at all.