Buzz
Hoaxes have been woven into the fabric of history for millennia. While this may not bode well for those easily deceived, it ensures a treasure trove of fascinating tales ready to be uncovered.
10. The Snail Telegraph
In 1850, Jacques Toussaint Benoit, a Parisian inventor, announced the creation of a revolutionary communication system capable of transmitting information globally in an instant, making the telegraph outdated. Dubbed the pasilalinic-sympathetic compass, it relied on Benoit’s theory that snails, once in contact, formed a telepathic bond, earning it the nickname: the snail telegraph.
Benoit, financially destitute, persuaded Monsieur Triat, a Parisian gymnasium manager, to fund his project, securing both lodging and a stipend to continue his experiments. Frustrated by the lack of results, Triat pressured Benoit to showcase his invention. On October 2, 1851, Benoit unveiled the device to Triat and a French journalist. Triat quickly realized it was a sham as Benoit repeatedly interfered with the snails. Despite this, the journalist was thoroughly convinced and published an enthusiastic article about the compass. When Triat insisted on a more controlled demonstration, Benoit disappeared, eventually passing away two years later in a Paris slum.
9. The Chesterfield Leper
In 1934, a damaging rumor spread about the Chesterfield cigarette factory in Richmond, Virginia, alleging that a leper had been discovered working on the production line. This caused a mass exodus of customers. Liggett and Myers, the factory owners, vehemently denied the claim and even offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the hoax’s origin. Speculation arose that the leprosy story was fabricated by a rival company or an anti-smoking religious group, though this theory itself was likely another hoax. The rumor’s source remained undisclosed, and its impact lingered for years, with sales struggling to rebound.
8. The History Of Crowland Abbey
Crowland Abbey, situated in eastern England, has stood since the ninth century. In 1413, as English nobles sought to confiscate monastic lands, a legal dispute arose over the abbey’s wealth. The monks defended their claim by producing ancient records, the *Historia Crowlandensis*, which affirmed their ownership. These documents were widely accepted as genuine until the 19th century, when inconsistencies were discovered, such as the use of words not common in the ninth century and references to universities that did not yet exist. The abbey’s deceit may have led to its eventual dissolution and demolition in the 16th century.
7. The Boy With The Golden Tooth
In 1593, extraordinary tales emerged in Silesia, a region primarily in Poland, about a seven-year-old boy named Christoph Müller. It was claimed that a golden tooth had miraculously appeared in his mouth just before Easter. Jacob Horst, a university professor, declared the tooth genuine, interpreting it as a supernatural sign or omen. However, by 1596, thorough investigation revealed the tooth was not solid gold but a gold cap on the boy’s real tooth—an early example of a dental crown. Ironically, the only person imprisoned due to the hoax was the boy himself.
6. The Drummer Of Tedworth
In March 1661 (or 1662, sources vary), John Mompessen, an excise officer, reported hearing eerie drumming sounds in his Tedworth home in southern England. The disturbances began after he arrested William Drury, a drummer who attempted to defraud the local constable with forged documents. Mompessen accused Drury of sending demons to haunt his house as retribution, and the drumming allegedly lasted for months. Despite priests performing exorcisms, the noises continued. When King Charles II sent investigators, they found no proof of supernatural activity. While the source of the sounds was never identified, the incident is widely regarded as a hoax, given the nonexistence of ghosts and demons.
5. The Charlton Brimstone Butterfly
This serves as another reminder that even the most intelligent individuals can be deceived without proper scrutiny. In 1702, William Charlton, a passionate butterfly collector, sent a specimen to James Petiver, a renowned London entomologist. Charlton passed away shortly after, but his discovery had already sparked excitement. The butterfly closely resembled the common English Brimstone, except for distinctive black and blue spots on its lower wings, leading Petiver to believe it was a new species. He later presented it to Carl Linnaeus, the famed Swedish botanist and zoologist, who also classified it as a new species and included it in his *Centuria Insectorum*, a catalog of 102 new species. It wasn’t until 30 years later that the truth emerged—the spots were painted on. The hoax was finally exposed by Danish entomologist John Christian Fabricius.
4. The Fortsas Book Hoax
In the summer of 1840, rare book dealers and collectors across Europe received telegrams announcing an unprecedented auction of unique books. The collection supposedly belonged to the late Count Fortsas, whose heirs had no interest in maintaining his vast library. The auction was scheduled for August 10, 1840, in Binche, Belgium. Enthusiasts flocked to the town but found no trace of the event. They were later informed the collection had been donated to the Binche public library—a place that didn’t exist. The entire affair was an elaborate ruse orchestrated by Renier Hubert Ghislain Chalon, a retired military officer known for his pranks on intellectuals.
3. The Society For Indecency To Naked Animals
In 1959, a peculiar organization emerged with the mission of clothing animals, deeming their natural state indecent. Their slogan, “A nude horse is a rude horse,” captured their bizarre ethos. Known as The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals (SINNA), the group was actually a clever hoax orchestrated by the infamous prankster Alan Abel. Abel’s inspiration came from an incident where a bull and cow mating on a highway caused public outrage. Through press releases, Abel convinced many of the group’s legitimacy, even securing an interview for the “president,” played by actor Buck Henry, on Walter Cronkite’s CBS news in 1962. The ruse fell apart when a staff member recognized Henry, but Abel kept the hoax alive until 1963, when *Time* exposed the truth.
2. The Diaphote Hoax
In 1880, Dr. H.E. Licks reportedly invented a groundbreaking technology called the diaphote, which claimed to transmit video over telegraph wires. The story first appeared in a Boston newspaper and gained widespread attention, even being featured in the prestigious journal *Nature*. The diaphote, named after Greek words meaning “through” and “light,” supposedly used mirrors and wires to transmit shapes and colors via vibrations. Witnesses allegedly saw successful demonstrations of images sent between two rooms. However, the entire invention was a fabrication, attributed to American civil engineer Mansfield Merriman. The hoax wasn’t exposed until 1917, when a book published under the name “H.E. Licks” revealed the truth.
1. The Berners Street Hoax
In 1809, Theodore Hook, known for his eccentric pranks, wagered a guinea with a friend that he could turn a modest house on Berners Street into the most talked-about address in London. Hook rented a room overlooking the house and orchestrated his scheme by sending thousands of letters to tradesmen and businesses across the city, requesting their services on August 27. The chaos began with a chimney sweep arriving, only to be followed by over a dozen more. Throughout the day, a flood of tradespeople—piano movers, opticians, barbers, and even the Mayor of London—descended on the house, owned by the esteemed Mrs. Tottenham. The crowd grew unruly, leading to fights, and police were stationed to prevent further entry. Hook’s involvement remained hidden until public outrage over the hoax subsided.
