Buzz
Around a decade ago, something remarkable took place. Education became trendy. Across the growing expanse of the Internet, new sites emerged, brimming with facts. But not just any facts—mind-blowing, unbelievable, awe-inspiring facts that left you wondering how the world had missed them. Some of these sites were top-notch (if we do say so ourselves), some carefully researched, and many others just recycled myths and passed them off as ‘learning,’ but the truth is out there for those who seek it.
10. Picnics Are Not a Racist Tradition
The Amazing Fact Are you a fan of picnics? Well, you might want to rethink that. The term 'picnic' actually originates from the phrase 'pick a n—r,' which was used to describe the crowds that would gather for lynchings.
The Truth A good rule of thumb when encountering word facts is that if something sounds too racist to be true, it likely is. Another useful guideline is that if the French already have a similar word for the same context, it's probably the more plausible origin.
The word 'Piquenique' can be traced back to 1692, more than a century and a half before lynchings became a widespread practice in the Southern states (which hadn’t even formed yet). The term made its way into English around 1750, initially used to describe social gatherings, whether indoors or outdoors. In fact, it wasn’t even common in America at that point. By the time Alabama joined the union, the word 'picnic' had already been used for 20 years, with no connection to racism. Since lynchings only became common after the Civil War, there’s virtually no chance that 'picnic' was ever associated with racial violence.
9. Stalin Didn’t Kill More People Than Hitler
The Amazing Fact While Hitler is often regarded as the greatest villain of the 20th century, it's worth noting that Stalin may have been even more deadly. The Soviet leader was responsible for the deaths of an astonishing 23–60 million people, far surpassing Hitler's 20 million.
The Truth If the 60 million figure seems inflated, that’s because it likely is. The entire population of the Soviet Union was about 160 million when Stalin rose to power. Even with the lowest estimate of 18 million deaths caused by the German invasion, Stalin’s losses would have left him with nearly no citizens left to govern.
The confusion stems from Cold War-era estimates of how many prisoners died in Soviet labor camps. Since the Soviet government was determined to keep its death tolls hidden, analysts in the West had to rely on educated guesses, leading to inflated figures. When Soviet archives were eventually opened, it was revealed that the number of deaths in the gulags was closer to one million. Though tragic, this figure is far lower than previously believed.
Historian Timothy Snyder estimates that the actual number of people Stalin deliberately killed falls between six and nine million, a total that includes the mass famines of the early 1930s. For comparison, Nazi Germany under Hitler is responsible for the deaths of 11–12 million noncombatants.
Regarding the topic of war . . .
8. Churchill Didn’t Sacrifice Coventry
The Amazing Fact On November 14, 1940, the Luftwaffe devastated the city of Coventry. Nearly 600 lives were lost, all because of Winston Churchill. The UK had intercepted German communications revealing the city’s impending attack, but the stout prime minister decided to remain silent instead of warning the public and revealing that British codebreakers had cracked the German encryption.
The Truth There’s no concrete proof that Churchill purposely allowed Coventry to be bombed. The conspiracy theory emerged after people wondered why such a devastating raid couldn’t be prevented once the Nazi codes had been cracked. But codebreaking isn’t always foolproof. On any given day, you could have a good idea of what’s coming and still miss the mark. At Bletchley Park, November 14 turned out to be one of those bad days.
In historian Michael Smith’s 2001 book Station X, British World War II codebreakers admitted to their mistake. They knew an attack was coming, but assumed the target was London. They even decoded the German code word for Coventry ('Korn'), but believed it referred to a radar station. Since no one realized the attack was actually aimed at Coventry, the city wasn’t warned. By the time the bombs started falling, it was already too late.
7. Gloomy Sunday Won’t Make You Kill Yourself
The Amazing Fact Composed by Hungarian pianist Rezso Seress in 1933, Gloomy Sunday is known as the deadliest song in history. Hundreds of listeners reportedly took their own lives, including Seress and the woman who inspired the song. When it reached the USA later in the decade, the suicides continued, prompting several countries to ban the song.
The Truth If you lived in the mid-1930s, there was something far more likely to drive people to suicide than a melancholy song. This was the height of the Great Depression. In 1937 and 1938, the USA saw its highest-ever suicide rates, with 40,000 deaths in just those two years. Coincidentally, this was also when 'Gloomy Sunday' was most popular. Blaming the song for the suicides would be like claiming that the suicide spike during the Great Recession was caused by Lady Gaga’s music entering the charts.
Scientifically, there’s no evidence that music directly causes suicides. Although TV shows and media reports are known to influence suicidal behavior, a 2010 study found no direct connection with music.
6. President Taft Didn’t Get Stuck In The Bathtub
The Amazing Fact William Howard Taft, the heaviest president in U.S. history, was once so large that he allegedly got stuck in the White House bathtub. According to legend, six aides had to help pull him out.
The Truth Unfortunately, real life doesn’t follow the same rules as “yo momma” jokes. While Taft was indeed heavy and had a special bathtub designed for his size, the story of him getting stuck and needing six men to pull him out is just an urban legend.
There’s no way Taft could have become trapped in his custom-built tub, which he used long before his presidency. The tub was large enough to comfortably fit four men. You could even bathe a hippo in it. Additionally, there’s no credible evidence to support the bathtub incident. The closest thing we have are a few autobiographies of White House staff, which are filled with gossip, not facts.
It’s more likely that the bathtub story was a piece of muckraking. Taft’s specially designed tub definitely drew attention, most of it unflattering. He was also involved in breaking up the Bathtub Trust, a corrupt cartel of porcelain manufacturers. It’s easy to imagine some satirist weaving these facts into the urban legend we know today.
5. ‘Saved By The Bell’ Has No Connection With Premature Burial
The Amazing Fact The phrase “saved by the bell” has a darker history than you might think. In the past, people had bells installed on their coffins in case they were buried alive. If someone woke up while still in the grave, they would ring the bell frantically, hoping to be rescued, hence the expression.
The Truth While “safety coffins” with bells did exist, they’re not actually connected to the phrase “saved by the bell.”
The phrase “saved by the bell” is actually derived from boxing, much like expressions such as “throw your hat into the ring,” “on the ropes,” “roll with the punches,” and “out for the count.” The bell in the saying refers to the one that signals the end of a round. The phrase originated from boxers who were on the verge of being knocked out but were rescued when the bell halted the referee’s count.
Similarly, the phrase “dead ringer” is often mistakenly linked to coffin bells, but it actually originates from a slang term in 19th-century horse racing.
4. Christianity Didn’t Rip Off Pagan Religions
The Amazing Fact Born of a virgin, heralded by an angel, and visited by three shepherds, he was baptized at the age of 30, known as a 'fisher of men,' had twelve disciples, and even raised the dead. He was ultimately crucified and resurrected three days later. His name was Horus, an Egyptian god that predates Jesus. So much for the divine origins of the Christian narrative, right?
The Truth The idea that Christianity borrowed directly from the myths of Horus or Mithras gained popularity after it was featured in the film Zeitgeist as part of their conspiracy-driven documentary. Before that, it appeared in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. The reason this claim isn’t taken seriously in academic or reputable circles is because it’s utterly baseless.
Virtually everything the internet claims about Horus is firmly rejected by qualified Egyptologists. No ancient Egyptian records mention Horus being born to a virgin, having 12 disciples, or being called a ‘fisher of men.’ Furthermore, he never raised the dead. While Horus did die and return to life, this occurred when he was still a child.
The same ‘creative storytelling’ that distorts Horus’ myth also affects the tale of the Roman god Mithras, who Dan Brown incorrectly claimed died and resurrected after three days. This claim completely contradicts historical evidence.
3. Nikola Tesla Didn’t Invent The 20th Century
The Amazing Fact Nikola Tesla was the brilliant mind behind alternating current (AC), radar, and radio transmission, revolutionizing industries and ushering in the second industrial revolution. Yet, despite these incredible achievements, his contributions to science are largely forgotten today.
The Truth It’s undeniable that Tesla was a genius of monumental proportions, with a mind far ahead of his time. However, his legacy has grown so large online that people now give him credit for innovations he wasn’t solely responsible for.
Consider AC, the system that powers much of the modern world and is often attributed solely to Tesla. While Tesla certainly beat Thomas Edison (who was still focused on DC), he wasn’t the only one making breakthroughs. Galileo Ferraris was making almost identical advancements at the same time, which is something that happens more frequently than you'd expect in the world of invention. Charles Bradley, Friedrich Haselwander, William Stanley, and Elihu Thomson were also key players in turning AC into a practical system.
Similarly, when it comes to radar, Heinrich Hertz, Guglielmo Marconi, and Christian Hulsmeyer were all working on it before Tesla. Even with his exceptional genius, Tesla needed men like Robert Watson Watt to refine the system. The same goes for radio transmission—it wasn’t all thanks to one individual genius. While it’s only fitting to honor Tesla's work, giving him sole credit for all the major innovations of the 20th century overlooks the contributions of countless other unsung heroes.
2. Saying ‘Hip Hip Hooray’ Isn’t Anti-Semitic
The Amazing Fact Have you ever shouted 'hip hip hooray!'? You might unknowingly be using an expression tied to anti-Semitism. The word 'hip' is derived from the Latin Hieroslyma est perdita, meaning 'Jerusalem is fallen.' Originally, it was a war cry used by Germans during the Hep Hep Riots of 1819, aimed at Jews.
The Truth There is much debate regarding the true origin of the phrase. However, the majority of scholars agree that the cheer is not connected to any form of racism.
The QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins states there is no evidence to support the theory that the cheer has any connection to the Latin phrase or the 1819 riots. In fact, the phrase was already in use in the late 18th century, long before the anti-Semitic violence of that time. Some sources trace the phrase to 1818 and note that it’s highly unlikely the rioters were students of Latin.
The 'Hep! Hep!' shout during the riots was probably a herdsman's call, suggesting the rioters dehumanized Jews. The cheer 'hip hip hooray!' likely emerged as a celebratory expression, possibly in drinking toasts. A book on Cambridge University rituals from 1827 mentions 'hip hip hurrah!' being used in the early 1820s. The idea that this phrase transformed so quickly from an anti-Semitic chant is highly implausible.
1. Most ‘Crazy Laws’ Are Utter Bunkum
The Amazing Fact Politicians pass the silliest laws. Did you know it’s illegal for women to wear pants in Tucson? Or that Californians have to get a hunting license before setting mousetraps? Or that it’s legal to kill a Welshman in Chester, England?
The Truth Most crazy laws you’ve ever read about online are complete and utter bunkum. The vast majority are either simply made up or an example of statutes being willfully misinterpreted for humorous effect.
For example, our California mousetrapping law above comes from a deliberate misreading of a bill passed in 2002. SB 1645 placed new restrictions on people who trap mammals for money (like the exterminator who deals with the skunk in your basement) but specifically exempted homeowners who want to get rid of mice or rats.
Some outdated laws are so ancient and obscure that they've been overtaken by time. For instance, in 1403, future King Henry V decreed that all Welshmen in Chester should be driven out under threat of death. Fortunately for modern-day Welsh residents in Chester, murder laws have effectively nullified this old edict, even though it technically wasn't ever formally repealed. The same applies to Tucson's outdated 19th-century law that banned women from dressing as men (and vice versa).
Just because a peculiar law was passed long ago doesn't mean it remains in effect until the state goes through the costly process of abolishing it. For example, Mississippi still had slavery on the books up until 2013, but that didn't mean its residents could actually run a plantation without facing serious consequences.
