MYTHS

The Most Famous Mythical Creature in Each State

The Loch Ness monster might be in Scotland, but we have some pretty fantastic beasts right here in America.

Elisabeth Demidoff's tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris

The Russian Countess Who Supposedly Wanted Company in Her Tomb

Did the Russian aristocrat Elisabeth Demidoff really offer the family fortune to anyone who would spend a year and a day in her tomb?

Thomas Schoch, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

Australia’s Sacred Uluru Monolith Is Closing to Tourists for Good This Weekend—So Tourists Are Rushing to Climb It

Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, is a sacred site to the Anangu people. As of Saturday, it will be permanently closed to tourists looking to climb it.

50 Common Myths, Busted

1. Vikings never wore horns on their helmets—at least not until an 1876 staging of Wagner's opera 'The Ring of the Nibelung.'

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wikimedia Commons // CC0 1.0

7 Myths About Mummies

Science has revealed historical truths about mummies, but they just can't shake their association with curses, myths, and Halloween.

9 Myths About Theodore Roosevelt

Our 26th president was a man larger than life—and is forever much larger than life, thanks to the fact that he's on the side of a mountain. But as with any such figure, myths and legends arise. So we’re here to explain the truth behind some popular storie

Environmental DNA Evidence Suggests the Loch Ness Monster Could Be a Giant Eel

A genetic analysis of the waters of Loch Ness found an unusually high amount of eel DNA, indicating that Nessie may not be an elusive plesiosaur after all.

13 Facts About the Tooth Fairy

In the United States, children who leave a newly lost tooth under their pillow know to expect a nocturnal visit from the Tooth Fairy, who might leave a shiny quarter, a new toothbrush, or perhaps even a crisp $20 bill!

Pennsylvania Has Become a Hotbed of Bigfoot Sightings

If you find yourself in the Keystone State, your chances of sneaking a peek at a Sasquatch just went up.

6 Wild Furby Myths That People Actually Believed in the ‘90s

The NSA, Pentagon, and Norfolk Naval Shipyard thought Furbys were a national security threat, so they banned the toys from their premises in 1999.

The Curious (and Possibly Murderous) Origins of Punxsutawney Phil's Name

Punxsutawney Phil's moniker might have something to do with the royal family, a pair of heinous groundhog murders, and some good old-fashioned small-town competition.

A stone circle like this one was recently shown to be a replica.

Historians Studying an ‘Ancient’ Scottish Stone Circle Learn It Was Built in the 1990s

Scientists' suspicions were outweighed by the excitement of finding another recumbent stone circle.

6 Popular Dog Myths, Debunked

A surprising amount of misinformation has been repeated enough about these furry little creatures to make it seem like fact.

The Poison-Detecting Secret Weapon of the Middle Ages: Unicorn Horn

It was the must-have accessory for royals watching their back.

coldsnowstorm/iStock via Getty Images Plus

11 Terrifying Urban Legends That Turned Out to Be True

Sorry to tell you, but killers really have crawled out of medicine cabinets to attack their victims.

The Legend—and Truth—of Silverpilen, Stockholm's Spooky Ghost Train

Once you board the Silver Arrow, you never get off.

11 Allegedly Haunted or Cursed Graves Around the U.S.

As if cemeteries weren't spooky enough.

Cottingley Fairy Photos That Fooled Arthur Conan Doyle Sold for More Than $26,000

The images were at the center of one of the most notorious hoaxes in history.

Revisiting the Mystery of the Great New England Sea Serpent of 1817

The fishermen of Gloucester, Massachusetts thought they had seen everything. Then they were proved wrong.

A dragon sand sculpture in Yokohama, Japan

9 Legendary Dragons From Around The World

Beware the Snallygaster!

This Interactive Map Lets You Listen to the Sounds of Mysterious ‘Phantom Islands’

Hear an interpretation of the sounds of islands that were seen centuries ago, only to disappear forever.

9 Myths About Bed Bugs, Debunked

They're not attracted to dirt, but you should still clean up your clutter.

Why is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky?

Today, people around the globe will feel uneasy about getting out of bed, leaving their homes, or going about their normal daily routines, all because of a superstition.

Photo Illustration by Lucy Quintanilla. Image: iStock.

The Quest to Break America’s Most Mysterious Code—And Find $60 Million in Buried Treasure

For the past century, the quest to break the Beale Ciphers has attracted the military, computer scientists, and conspiracy theorists. All have failed.

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