Hoax Museum Blog: Urban Legends

Past time for Kaufman to return
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2014.   Comments (0)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 28

September 28, 1980: Jimmy's World
On this day in 1980, the Washington Post ran a story on its front page by reporter Janet Cooke about "Jimmy," an 8-year-old heroin addict. The story eventually won her a Pulitzer Prize. But as pressure on Cooke mounted to reveal where Jimmy lived, so that he could be helped, she finally admitted that she had never met Jimmy and that much of her story was fictitious. Cooke resigned, and the Post, humiliated by the incident, returned the Pulitzer Prize. More…
Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2014.   Comments (0)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 26

September 26, 1995: Transatlantic Paper Airplane
On this day in 1995, the Weekly World News reported that a paper airplane thrown by a school girl in North Carolina had been lifted up by "turbulent winds" and landed in Portugal. The article promptly made its way onto the Internet, where many people mistook it for real news, including the producers of The Family Channel TV special Unbelievable, who admitted that they made dozens of calls trying to track down the girl named in the story. [Weekly World News]
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014.   Comments (1)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 25

September 25, 1973: The Knocking Ghost of Boise
Police in Boise, Idaho were initially stumped by the case of an apparent ghost in the house of Peggy Zimmerman. The ghost made knocking sounds on the floor and could rap out correct answers to questions. The mystery was solved on this day in 1973 by a TV newsman who realized that the source of the rapping was Mrs. Zimmerman's young daughter, Shelley, who was always present when the ghost was rapping. Shelley had the ability to surreptitiously crack her ankle by flexing it, thereby making a loud knocking sound. More…
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014.   Comments (0)

The Bogus Inheritance of Jean Naccarelli
Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2014.   Comments (1)

Portsmouth UFO
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014.   Comments (1)

The New 420 Mile Marker
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014.   Comments (1)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 23

September 23, 1936: Fake Lie Detector
The disclosure that a grammar school in Newark, New Jersey had been using a fake lie detector to make boys "confess their errors" caused a storm of controversy. The operator of the machine (usually the school principal) would activate a hidden switch whenever he thought a boy was lying, causing a red bulb to start flashing. In response to criticism that the fake lie detector created a "jail atmosphere," the principal ordered the machine burned in the furnace.
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014.   Comments (0)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 19

September 19, 1984: Houston Zoo's Fake Snake
On this day, the Houston Zoo admitted that the coral snake on display for the past two years was not actually alive. It was a rubber snake. Zoo curator John Donaho explained, "We have had live snakes in the exhibit, but they don't do well. They tend to die. Rather than kill snakes, we put out a rubber one for people to be able to see what they look like." The zoo's confession came after a concerned caller reported he hadn't seen the snake move in months. The zoo subsequently received a box from an East Coast zoo containing another rubber coral snake as well as "breeding loan" documentation.
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014.   Comments (1)

How Will Nessie Vote?
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014.   Comments (0)

Futility Closet on Berners Street Hoax
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014.   Comments (0)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 18

September 18, 1962: Fake Sputnik Fragment
In Sept. 1962, the Soviet Union's Sputnik IV satellite fell out of orbit, descending to earth over Wisconsin. A fragment was found in the lawn of a Big Falls, Wisconsin couple. But when NASA examined the fragment, the agency concluded it was a fake. At which point, 22-year old machinist Lyle Bailey admitted he had created it out of red-hot metal chips from a grinder. He had planted the fake fragment in the ground, then had doused it with fuel and lit it on fire, to give it a charred look. He explained it was simply a prank that had gotten out of hand. A real fragment from the satellite was found in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014.   Comments (0)

Free U2 tape with every cassette player
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014.   Comments (0)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 17

September 17, 1859: Emperor Norton I Declared
On this day in 1859, San Francisco resident Joshua Norton declared himself Emperor of the United States. He reigned for 21 years, walking the streets of the city dressed in a military uniform, completed by a plumed hat, gold epaulets, and a sword. Among his proclamations was the abolishment of the U.S. Congress, as well as the Democratic and Republican parties. At his funeral, over 30,000 people lined the streets of San Francisco. [wikipedia]
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014.   Comments (0)

This Day in the History of Hoaxes: September 16

September 16, 1560: Martin Guerre Imposter Hanged
On this day in 1560, the French peasant Arnaud du Tilh, who had been posing as another man, Martin Guerre, was hanged outside the home of the real Martin Guerre. The real Guerre had mysteriously disappeared in 1548, abandoning his wife. Eight years later, du Tilh showed up, claimed to be Guerre, and moved in with Guerre's wife. But 4 years later, Guerre returned, exposing du Tilh's imposture. More…
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2014.   Comments (0)
How an 18th Century hoax is relevant to Scottish Independence — North Country Public Radio blogger Brian Mann asks, "Is fight for Scottish independence based on a literary hoax?" He concedes that if Scotland does decide for independence, there will be "many causes, many inspirations." But he notes that Scottish cultural nationalism first got a big push back in the 18th Century when James Macpherson published his Ossian poems, claiming they were a translation of epic poems written by an ancient Scottish bard. The poems gave Scots a sense of pride in having a great cultural heritage. But the truth was that Macpherson had mostly written the poems himself. (Which, in itself, was an impressive achievement, although much of the appeal of the poems lay in the idea that they were ancient).
Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014.   Comments (1)

Hamburger Helper Restaurant
Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014.   Comments (0)

Fake Pigeons
Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014.   Comments (0)

Jesus Pierogi
Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014.   Comments (2)
Are decapitated snakes still deadly? — True or False? Decapitated snakes can still inflict lethal bites.

Unfortunately it's true. [Huffington Post]
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014.   Comments (1)
Page 8 of 232 pages ‹ First  < 6 7 8 9 10 >  Last ›