Buzz
People have always enjoyed a captivating tale, and history is full of remarkable deceptions. Over the centuries, both individuals and groups have concocted intricate stories; some of the most successful of these tricked not only the naive but the public at large.
Some of these hoaxes were believed for months, even years. The truth behind a few continues to be defended by certain individuals to this day. Here are ten of the most significant deceptions in history, ranging from the discovery of 'dead giants' and fairies to the tale of a mathematical genius horse.
10. The Tasaday
The Tasaday tribe was often referred to as ‘lost’ or ‘undiscovered.’ However, Survival International explained that their isolation since the Stone Age meant they hadn’t been in contact with the outside world. The tribe was portrayed as a peaceful society of ‘noble savages’ living within jungle caves, with no concept of violence or conflict. In reality, the tribe was under the control of Manuel Elizalde Jr., who granted access to anthropologists and celebrities wishing to visit their caves.
The hoax came to light when Oswald Iten unexpectedly visited the tribe. He found the people casually wearing T-shirts and jeans, using modern tools such as knives and mirrors. Upon questioning them through a translator, they confessed that they were not a Stone Age tribe, and that they had been acting the part in exchange for money from Elizalde.
Some claimed that the Tasaday tribe was a publicity stunt orchestrated by officials from the regime of the recently ousted Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos. In 1988, however, President Corazon Aquino declared the Tasaday to be a legitimate group, although many scholars disagreed. Later research concluded that the tribe was a distinct, isolated people, though not a 'Stone Age tribe.'
9. The Dead Fairy
On April 1, 2007, Dan Baines from London decided to pull off an April Fools' prank by listing a fairy's corpse on an online auction platform. He later sold the fairy for £280. In just one day, around 20,000 people visited the site to see the image of the supposed fairy remains.
The seller claimed the remains resembled those of a child but with hollow bones like a bird. The corpse reportedly had teeth, skin, hair, and of course, wings. According to the seller, a local dog walker discovered the body, and an anthropologist confirmed its authenticity. However, later that day, he admitted the fairy was a hoax and updated the product description with a disclaimer. Despite this, many believers still maintain that the fairy's remains are real and that Baines is covering up the truth.
8. Clever Hans
Clever Hans, a horse who was believed to not only count but also solve complex math problems, became a sensation in the early 1900s. His owner, Wilhelm von Olsten, a mathematics teacher, would travel across Germany to showcase the horse's extraordinary abilities to the public, leaving many amazed by his apparent talents.
To respond to audience queries, Clever Hans would tap his foot. Naturally, many questioned the horse’s abilities, leading to several studies conducted away from his owner. Yet, Hans consistently answered questions correctly. The truth was revealed when a stranger asked a question Hans couldn’t answer. It became clear that Hans wasn’t actually solving mathematical problems; instead, he would tap his foot until the person observing him seemed to relax, signaling that he had reached the correct answer. Hans knew he was right when the audience applauded and rewarded him.
7. The Cardiff Giant
On October 16, 1869, while digging a well in Cardiff, New York, William Newell stumbled upon a 305-centimeter-tall (10′) human-like corpse. He immediately believed he had uncovered the remains of a giant and covered the site with a tent. To profit from the discovery, Newell charged 25 cents for public access to view the giant. As crowds flocked to see the figure, Newell increased the entrance fee. It wasn’t long before archaeologists concluded that the corpse was a hoax.
The Cardiff Giant was the brainchild of George Hull, a tobacconist who employed workers to carve the giant from a 3-meter (10 ft) block of gypsum in Iowa. He told the workers that his aim was to create a monument of Abraham Lincoln for New York. Afterward, the block was shipped to Chicago and sculpted by stonecutter Edward Burghardt, who was sworn to secrecy. The faux giant was then aged with stains and acid to give it a weathered look. Hull then transported the giant by railroad to his cousin, William Newell’s farm, where Newell hired two men to dig the well in which the giant would be 'discovered.'
6. Spaghetti Trees
It may seem unbelievable that a broadcaster would intentionally deceive an entire nation, but that’s precisely what the BBC did on April Fools' Day in 1957. The BBC aired an episode of Panorama, a popular documentary series still running today, featuring a segment on a spaghetti harvest.
At that time, spaghetti wasn’t well-known in the UK, so viewers were captivated by the footage of a Swiss family supposedly harvesting pasta from a tree. Adding credibility to the mockumentary, renowned broadcaster Richard Dimbleby provided the voice-over. The segment was so convincing that many viewers contacted the BBC to ask how they could grow their own spaghetti trees at home. In response, the BBC humorously suggested, 'place a sprig of spaghetti into a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.'
5. Nat Tate
Acclaimed British novelist William Boyd pulled off the greatest artistic and literary hoax of all time in 1998. The former lecturer at St Hilda’s College in Oxford published the artist biography Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928–1960. He claimed Nat Tate was an abstract expressionist who both lived and worked in New York during the 1950s. However, Boyd stated in his book that Tate destroyed 99 percent of his work during the course of one weekend and then leaped to his death from a ferry by Staten Island. His body was never found. Of course, it couldn’t possibly have been found, as Nat Tate was a figment of Boyd’s imagination.
Following the biography’s publication, which was presented as real and extensively reviewed, the lie unfolded. Nat Tate’s life was not only concocted by William Boyd, but the book was written in collaboration with Tate Britain and the National Gallery. There were also other conspirators involved in the clever ploy, including David Bowie, who gave a public reading of the book on April Fools’ Day. The reason behind the publication was to expose the pretentious art world, as many socialites and industry professionals claimed they were aware or Nat Tate’s legacy. The art world realized it had been fooled once a reader wrote to The Independent to expose the hoax.
4. Mary Toft And The Rabbits
In 1726, 24-year-old Mary Toft went into labor and called out for her neighbor, Mary Gill, who quickly rushed to her side. What Gill didn’t expect to find was that Mary Toft had given birth to a monster, so she ran to Toft’s sister-in-law, who was a midwife. She informed her that Mary had seemingly given birth to a jumble of animal parts. The family promptly sent the parts to John Howard, who was a local surgeon with more than 30 years’ experience. After he inspected the remains, he stated Mary Toft had given birth to “three legs of a Cat of a Tabby Colour, and one leg of a Rabbet [ . . . ] in them were three pieces of the Back-Bone of an Eel.”
Doubtful of what he had witnessed, Howard visited Mary, whom he described as 'of a very stupid and sullen temper.' However, he was left speechless when Mary gave birth to a bunny right before his eyes. Mary quickly became a sensation as the public was fascinated by her story, particularly after Howard allegedly saw her give birth to eight more baby rabbits within a month. The mystery surrounding her story became so captivating that Britain even stopped cooking rabbit stew.
Mary was eventually taken to a London bathhouse for examination against her will, under the direct observation of King George. Strangely, after this, Mary stopped giving birth to rabbits. On December 4, a porter was caught trying to sneak a baby rabbit into her chamber, and her husband was discovered to have bought several rabbits from local merchants. With mounting evidence, Mary admitted the whole story was a hoax, and she was imprisoned for five months.
3. The Amityville Horror
In 1974, Ronald DeFeo Jr. killed six members of his family at 112 Ocean Avenue, a large Dutch Colonial house in the village of Amityville, New York. In 1975, DeFeo Jr. was convicted of second-degree murder. That same year, George and Kathy Lutz, along with their three children, moved into the house at 112 Ocean Avenue. The family later claimed that they were attacked by a demonic spirit and fled the house after enduring 28 days of paranormal horrors.
Despite the family's claims, investigators remained skeptical. Years later, the truth emerged when DeFeo’s lawyer confessed that both he and the Lutz family had conspired together to fabricate the story, and both had made significant profits from the hoax. They had also collaborated with novelist Jay Anson to embellish their narrative, which was later adapted into the successful movie *The Amityville Horror*.
2. The Hitler Diaries
In 1983, the West German magazine *Stern* published the first installment of Adolf Hitler’s purported unseen diaries. The magazine reportedly paid $4 million for the 60 volumes, which were believed to have been recovered from a plane wreckage dating back to 1945. Aware of the historical significance, *Stern* enlisted handwriting experts from Germany, the US, and France to authenticate the documents.
However, skepticism spread across the globe, and for good reason. The Bundesarchiv later released an article revealing that the handwriting was replicated using modern paper. Further handwriting tests confirmed the documents’ inauthenticity. The scandal led to the resignation of several editors, including those from *Stern*, *The Sunday Times*, and *Newsweek*. It was eventually uncovered that the diaries had been forged by Konrad Kujau, a small-time criminal.
1. Balloon Boy
Richard and Mayumi Heene, aspiring actors, had appeared on the reality TV show *Wife Swap*. During their time on the show, Richard openly shared his ambition to launch homemade flying saucers into storms. However, their dream of contacting aliens took a drastic turn into a nightmare on October 15, 2009, when they called 911, claiming their six-year-old son, Falcon, had floated away on a helium-filled balloon. Reports later surfaced that Falcon was allegedly traveling at an altitude of 2,100 meters (7,000 ft) on the balloon, and he earned the nickname 'Balloon Boy.'
As it turned out, there was no need for global concern—Falcon had been hiding in the family’s attic the entire time, and Richard Heene had constructed the flying saucer-shaped balloon in their own backyard. As a result, Richard was sentenced to 90 days in jail (with 60 served through work release) and ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution. Mayumi Heene received 20 days of community service. Additionally, the family was prohibited from profiting financially from the hoax, such as through a book deal.
