Buzz
Many individuals dedicate their entire lives to perfecting their craft, striving for recognition in their chosen field. Yet, few things are more heartbreaking than watching someone else take credit for their hard work. Numerous renowned creators throughout history have faced doubts over the authenticity of their contributions.
10. The US Flag
The commonly held belief that Betty Ross created the American flag is not supported by factual evidence. The tale of her involvement first appeared in an article written by her grandson, William Canby, who admitted there was no proof backing his grandmother’s part in the design of the flag. It was merely a family story passed down by Ross herself.
A stronger claim to the creation of the flag could be made by Francis Hopkinson, who played a pivotal role in designing the symbols of the fledgling nation. In addition to his contributions to the flag, he was instrumental in designing both the Great Seal of the United States and the Treasury seal. Hopkinson also had a hand in designing the first American currency. A distinguished lawyer and a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he later sought compensation from the government for his work on the flag. Interestingly, although the government did not deny his role in designing the flag, his political rivals at the Treasury Department consistently blocked his claim.
The case was allowed to drag on for more than a year before Hopkinson finally gave up in frustration. In its final report, the Treasury Department contended that Hopkinson wasn't entitled to compensation, citing that he had already been drawing a substantial government salary at the time and couldn’t expect extra payment for additional services. They also argued that other unnamed individuals had contributed to the design, meaning Hopkinson shouldn’t receive sole credit.
9. The Telephone
On August 4, 1922, all telephone services across the United States and Canada were disrupted for one minute to honor the death of Alexander Graham Bell, who is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the telephone. However, this claim was fiercely contested by Italian-American engineer Antonio Meucci, who argued that Bell had stolen his work on the device. Meucci referred to his invention as the “teletrofono” and showcased it in New York in 1860. Despite this, Meucci's limited command of English and the fact that his demonstration was only reported in small Italian-language newspapers in New York, hindered its recognition.
Unable to afford the $250 necessary for a patent, Meucci opted to file a notice of an impending patent, though he could not afford the $10 needed for its renewal. He submitted a model of his invention to the Western Union telegraph company, but the company’s executives refused to meet with him. They also claimed his invention had gone missing and did not return it. Two years later, Graham Bell unveiled his version of the telephone and secured a lucrative contract with Western Union. Bell quickly became a celebrity, while Meucci passed away in poverty and obscurity.
8. The Downfall of Al Capone
Elliot Ness and his Untouchables were depicted in an Oscar-winning film that portrayed them as the fearless and incorruptible team responsible for ending Al Capone’s reign of terror. However, while Ness and his men certainly exerted pressure on Capone’s organization, the true individuals behind his fall were Bureau of Revenue investigator Frank Wilson, prosecutor George E.Q. Johnson, and Judge James Wilkerson.
Capone was not imprisoned for murder or extortion, but rather for tax evasion—an offense that Wilson and his team diligently pursued after uncovering a confiscated ledger from Capone’s gang. Wilson even had the opportunity to meet with Capone for an interview regarding his tax problems. At the end of the conversation, Capone asked, 'How’s your wife, Wilson?' The veiled threat didn’t deter Wilson from his investigation, and he later provided enough evidence for Johnson to file charges against Capone.
Johnson struck a two-and-a-half year plea deal with Capone’s attorney. However, when the day for sentencing arrived, Judge Wilkerson shocked everyone by declaring that there would be no plea bargain.
Rather than accepting the plea bargain, Wilkerson insisted on a full trial. Capone then attempted to bribe potential jurors, but the judge pulled yet another surprise by having the jury switched just before the trial commenced. The final nail in Capone’s coffin was driven in by Judge Wilkerson, who sentenced him to 11 years, the longest sentence ever given for tax evasion.
7. The Tank
The creation of the tank is often attributed to Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton, a British military officer and writer. However, Australian soldier Lance de Mole might deserve more of the credit, as he seems to have conceived the idea for the tank in December 1914 (possibly even as early as 1912). He designed an armored vehicle featuring chain wheels, which made it easier to maneuver off-road and cross trenches.
De Mole quickly submitted his design to the British War Office, but they dismissed it, thinking the concept was impractical. He would attempt to present his idea again in 1915 and 1917, but was rejected both times. His third attempt did, however, result in a grant of £987 to help cover his costs. Swinton, on the other hand, would later create his own plans for the tank after observing a tractor equipped with a gun. Had the War Office accepted de Mole’s vision in 1914, World War I could have potentially ended much sooner.
6. Romeo And Juliet
The majority of people around the world are familiar with William Shakespeare and his iconic play, *Romeo And Juliet*. But few may know of Arthur Brooke, who in 1562 published a lengthy narrative poem titled *The Tragical History Of Romeus And Juliet*. This poem would go on to inspire Shakespeare’s famous work.
One key difference between Brooke’s poem and Shakespeare’s play lies in the timeframe. In Brooke’s version, the events unfold over the course of nine months, whereas Shakespeare condenses them into just four days. For instance, in Brooke’s poem, the lovers are married for several months before Romeus kills Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Moreover, Shakespeare crafted the first and second scenes from scratch, enabling him to introduce most of the main characters in the first act, unlike Brooke, who only brought in Paris after Tybalt’s death.
Brooke wasn’t even the first to tell the Romeo and Juliet story; his poem was based on a work by Pierre Boaistuau, who was influenced by an Italian novella by Matteo Bandello. Bandello, in turn, drew from an earlier novel by Luigi da Porto. Despite the tale’s long history, critics generally agree that Shakespeare’s version stands as the finest, even if it isn’t particularly original.
5. The Discovery Of Penicillin
We’ve already discussed how Alexander Fleming stumbled upon penicillin by chance, dismissed it as useless, and then ignored it for a decade. It wasn’t until a team of scientists, including Norman Heatley and Howard Florey, succeeded in developing penicillin for medical use that Fleming reappeared to claim all the credit. Even though he had abandoned his discovery, Fleming still went on to become one of the most renowned medical pioneers in history.
In fact, Fleming wasn’t the first to recognize the medicinal value of penicillin. Back in 1896, French physician Ernest Duchesne discovered the mold’s therapeutic qualities while observing young Arab children using it to treat saddle sores. After performing additional experiments, Duchesne identified the mold as a type of *Penicillium* and successfully used it to treat guinea pigs suffering from typhoid.
Duchesne included his findings in his doctoral thesis and sent the research to the esteemed Institut Pasteur, hoping to gain recognition for his work. However, as Duchesne was relatively unknown, the Institut flatly refused to acknowledge or even review his research. Duchesne sadly passed away from tuberculosis in 1912.
4. The Dystopian Masterpiece
D-503 is a man living in a society controlled by a totalitarian regime, where homes are constructed from glass so the Bureau of Guardians can monitor its citizens. As time passes, D-503 grows weary of this existence and starts to rebel against the leadership of “The Benefactor.” He is helped by a woman named I-330, with whom he quickly becomes infatuated. The rebellion ultimately fails, and D-503 is captured and subjected to the “Great Operation,” which transforms him from a man who desired the downfall of the state into one who now wishes for its survival.
If you’ve ever read George Orwell’s *1984*, you may recognize some familiar themes from the summary above. It’s actually from a novel called *We*, written by Yevgeny Zamyatin. This book was published around two decades before Orwell’s own famous work. In fact, we know for certain that Orwell read *We* because he published a review of it in the *Tribune*. Ironically, he criticized the novel for having a 'rather weak and episodic plot, which is too complex to summarize,' and even accused Aldous Huxley of borrowing from it for his novel *Brave New World*.
3. The Assembly Line
Henry Ford was an extraordinary inventor, innovator, and creator. At the very least, he deserves recognition for giving us *the weekend*. However, he didn’t actually invent the assembly line as many people believe. The true credit for the assembly line goes to Ransom E. Olds, the founder of Olds Motor Vehicle Company, whose pioneering contributions to the automobile industry have been largely forgotten.
Prior to Ransom E. Olds's innovation, manufacturing was largely done manually, which led to slow production. Faced with overwhelming demand for his affordable cars, Olds patented the assembly line in 1901. Within a year, the output at his Detroit factory soared from a modest 425 cars per year to a remarkable 2,500 vehicles annually. Unfortunately, his company was not as long-lasting as Ford’s. Though Ford is often mistakenly credited with creating the assembly line, his main contribution was placing cars on a conveyor belt, transforming Olds’s model into a “moving” assembly line.
2. Aspirin
Aspirin, first introduced by the German company Bayer in 1899, quickly became one of the most widely used medications in the world. For many years, it was believed to have been created by Felix Hoffmann, a German chemist working at Bayer. However, the true inventor was a German Jew named Arthur Eichengrun.
Bayer kept details about Aspirin under wraps for fear of competitors copying their formula. The first claim of invention came in 1934 when Hoffmann stated that his father’s dislike for the common rheumatism treatments of the time inspired him to create the drug. Eichengrun, outraged by this false attribution, could not respond due to the rise of the Nazis. By 1934, he had left Bayer and started his own business, partnering with an Aryan associate to stay under the radar. His company was seized by the Nazis in 1938, and Eichengrun later claimed to have invented Aspirin while imprisoned in a concentration camp.
After surviving the war, Eichengrun once again claimed ownership of the invention in 1949, but his assertions went largely ignored. In 1999, Professor Walter Sneader from Strathclyde University brought attention back to the issue, arguing that Hoffmann had synthesized Aspirin under Eichengrun’s guidance, without truly understanding the science behind it. Even when Bayer rejected the drug, Eichengrun didn't give up, organizing covert tests that eventually convinced his superiors of its potential. While Hoffmann contributed, it now seems clear that Eichengrun was the true inventor of Aspirin. As for Hoffmann, he still holds fame for synthesizing another of Bayer’s iconic products—heroin.
1. The First Summit Of Everest
Did Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay truly reach the top of Everest first? It's possible, but growing evidence suggests that George Mallory and Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine may have reached the summit as early as 1924. In fact, they were last seen just a few hundred yards from the summit before they vanished.
In 1999, the body of George Mallory was located 8,150 meters (26,760ft) up Mount Everest. Strangely, the photograph of his wife, which he had intended to place at the summit, was not found in his belongings. However, his goggles were, indicating that he might have been descending in low visibility when he died. This leads many to believe that he likely reached the summit but died before descending. Irvine’s body has never been discovered, which adds intrigue, especially since he was carrying a camera. If the camera were ever found, its photos might confirm whether the pair actually reached the peak.
A true gentleman, Sir Edmund Hillary never sought to downplay Mallory and Irvine’s efforts. When asked about who reached the summit first, he simply stated that he wasn't sure, but he was confident that he and Tenzing were the first to make it back down safely.
