1

John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 coconut

Image: 🇻🇪 Jose G. Ortega Castro 🇲🇽

In 1943, John F. Kennedy commanded the PT-109, a torpedo boat, in the Solomon Islands during World War II . When a Japanese destroyer sank his boat, JFK carved a rescue message on a coconut, which local islanders delivered to Allied forces, saving him and his crew. 18 years later, Kennedy became the US president and kept the coconut as a paperweight in his office. Today, it’s preserved at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

2

George Washington's dentures

Image: BakedintheHole, via Wikimedia Commons

Everyone knows George Washington struggled with dental problems throughout his life. And while the old myth about his wooden teeth isn’t true, our first president did wear dentures made from different materials. One of his most complete sets has been carefully preserved and is now on display at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate and museum.

3

Abraham Lincoln’s top hat

Image: Brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, via Wikimedia Commons

It’s easy to picture Abraham Lincoln with his signature top hat. To get a little closer to Honest Abe, you can visit the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., where the very hat he wore the night he was fatally shot is on display.

4

The contents of Lincoln's pockets

Image: Jorien Loman

The hat isn’t the only relic that remained from that tragic night. Everything Abraham Lincoln had in his pockets —two pairs of glasses, a pocketknife, a Confederate $5 bill, a linen handkerchief, and a gold pocket watch—is preserved and on display at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

5

Thomas Jefferson’s inkwell

Image: Clark Young

Fortunately, you can still see with your own eyes two of the inkwells that belonged to the man who penned nothing less than the Declaration of Independence. That’s right! The first, a ceramic inkwell shaped like Enlightenment philosopher Voltaire’s head, is housed at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello. The second, made of bronze and engraved with "T. Jefferson, 1804," is part of the White House Collection.

6

Theodore Roosevelt's pince-nez glasses

Image: via Wikimedia Commons

Teddy Roosevelt is practically synonymous with his pince-nez glasses; even the giant sculpture of his face on Mount Rushmore shows him wearing them. But did you know they once saved his life? In 1912, while campaigning, Roosevelt was shot, but the bullet struck the steel case holding his glasses and didn’t penetrate it. Today, both the case and the 50-page manuscript he carried in the same pocket are on display at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site in New York City.

7

John F. Kennedy's rocking chair

Image: Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

President Kennedy’s rocking chair appeared in many photos of him with important visitors in the White House. Recommended by his doctor to ease his back pain, the iconic chair is now part of the collection at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

8

George Washington’s Revolutionary War bedstead

Image: Wikimedia Commons

If you thought this list was just about small objects, think again. Two of George Washington’s folding field beds from the Revolutionary War have also been preserved. One is displayed at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, and the other can be seen at the Mount Vernon Museum in Virginia.

9

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s stamp collection

Image: Tolga deniz Aran

F. D. Roosevelt was an avid stamp collector, amassing a collection of over 1.2 million stamps. After his death, his family sold most of them, but some—especially those he received officially from foreign governments—are preserved at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. The museum also houses items related to his hobby, including a magnifying glass, a perforation gauge for measuring stamps, and his portable wooden stamp box.

10

George Washington’s dress sword

Image: Wonderlane

In addition to his dentures, Mount Vernon preserves many other personal items that belonged to George Washington. Among them are several of his swords, and it is believed that one of them may be the very dress sword he wore at his inauguration as the first American president in 1789!

1

George Washington had wooden teeth

Image: Jon Sailer

When one thinks about this one, it can sound quite preposterous, but many people still believe it to be true. George Washington did wear dentures, but none were made of wood. His sets were crafted from ivory, gold, lead, and even animal and human teeth. The wood myth likely spread because stained ivory took on a rough, brown look .

The story stuck because it seemed to fit the image of a rustic leader. In truth, Washington’s constant dental pain was very real, but the wooden teeth are pure fiction.

2

The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4

Image: The New York Public Library

Yes, July 4, 1776, is remembered as the day America declared independence, but most delegates did not sign the document then. It was approved that day, yet the majority of signatures were added on August 2 .

Only John Hancock and perhaps a handful of others signed on the Fourth. The legend of all the Founders signing together created a more dramatic story than reality.

3

The first Thanksgiving had turkey and pie

Image: Noah Samuel Franz

The 1621 gathering in Plymouth is remembered as a feast of turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. In reality, the menu was very different. Venison, fish, shellfish, corn, and nuts were likely served instead .

Turkey may have been present, but it wasn’t the centerpiece, and sweet pumpkin pie was impossible without sugar or ovens. The foods we associate today were added later by tradition.

4

The Liberty Bell cracked on July 4, 1776

Image: Dan Mall

Many believe the Liberty Bell cracked while celebrating independence on July 4, 1776, but it didn’t. The bell wasn’t even rung that day, and its famous fracture appeared decades later .

Records suggest the crack happened in the 1830s or 1840s during use at civic events. The legend tied the crack to 1776 because it made for a more patriotic tale.

5

Paul Revere shouted "The British are coming!"

Image: brianfakhoury

Paul Revere’s midnight ride is legendary, but the famous phrase attributed to him is not. He likely warned townspeople, "The Regulars are out," since most colonists still thought of themselves as British.

The dramatic version was added later to make the story more exciting. Revere’s actual mission was successful, but it didn’t involve shouting through the countryside.

6

Colonial Americans were short

Image: James Coleman

It’s often said that colonial Americans were much shorter than people today, but that’s an exaggeration. Skeletal evidence shows the average man in the 1700s was about 5’8", not far from modern averages .

Malnutrition was less severe in America than in Europe at the time. The myth spread from comparing old, small doorways and beds, which were not actually built for shorter people.

7

The pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock

Image: Bernd 📷 Dittrich

The story that the Pilgrims stepped onto Plymouth Rock in 1620 has no basis in fact. No historical accounts from the time mention it.

The tale was first told more than a century later, likely to create a symbolic landmark. The rock is real, but its role in the landing is pure invention to add drama to history .

8

Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity with a kite

Image: Brett Wharton

Benjamin Franklin’s 1752 kite experiment is well-known, but he didn’t "discover" electricity. Scientists had known about it for years. His test demonstrated that lightning was a form of electricity . So, somewhat similar but not the same.

The story became simplified over time into a myth of sudden discovery. Franklin’s real contribution was proving a connection, not inventing the concept.

9

The Alamo defenders fought to the last man

Image: Gabriel Tovar

The legend of the Alamo says every defender fought to the bitter end in 1836. While most did die, accounts suggest some may have surrendered and were executed afterward .

The truth is more complicated than the heroic version. Still, the myth of total sacrifice became central to Texas identity and American lore.

10

Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on an envelope

Image: Forest Simon

Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is often said to have been scribbled quickly on the back of an envelope. In reality, he drafted several careful versions of the speech in advance .

The "envelope" tale was later invented to emphasize his brilliance and spontaneity. The truth shows Lincoln was thoughtful and deliberate, not hurried.

11

Gunfights were really common in the Wild West

Image: Stefan Münz

Popular film and TV shows depict the Wild West as lawless and violent, with constant gun duels. In fact, frontier towns often had strict laws banning guns inside city limits .

Shootouts like those in movies were rare events, not daily life. The myth grew from dime novels and later Hollywood Westerns that exaggerated violence.

12

A cow started the Chicago Fire

Image: Daniel Quiceno M

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 was long blamed on Catherine O’Leary’s cow kicking over a lantern. This story was published in newspapers and stuck in public memory.

Historians now know the cause was never proven . The cow tale unfairly tarnished the O’Leary family (and the cow itself), but it became a convenient explanation for a devastating disaster.

1

Mt. McKinley/Denali

This Alaskan mountain has changed names several times. Historically called Denali (meaning ‘the big one’) by the Koyukon Athabaskan tribe, it was referred to as Bolshaya Gora (‘big mountain’) by the Russians. After the Alaska purchase, it was temporarily named Densmore's Mountain before gaining the name McKinley in support of the then-presidential candidate. It was renamed Denali in the 1970s at the state level and in 2015 at the federal level, before reverting to McKinley in 2024, although Denali is still the name of the National park that houses it . With this many changes, it’s no wonder some people still mix the names.

2

Liberty Enlightening the World/The Statue of Liberty

This statue is one of the indisputable icons of the USA and of New York City, but not everyone knows that ‘The Statue of Liberty’ is just a popular name. As a gift from France, it was named La Liberté éclairant le monde , or ‘Liberty Enlightening the World’ , but no matter what it’s called, it has become an iconic symbol of American values.

3

Alcatraz Island/The Rock

One of the most infamous American prisons, Alcatraz Island, is located less than two miles from the San Francisco coast. Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala named it Isla de los Alcatraces or Island of the Pelicans due to the prevalence of these birds. After becoming U.S. territory, Alcatraz Island became a military fort, and then a federal prison that housed some of America’s most notorious criminals. While many believe that it's popularly called The Rock because it was impossible to escape, the nickname is simply due to its rocky appearance and its isolated location.

4

Mt. Rainier/Tahoma

Located in the Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, Mt. Rainier is the tallest mountain (and volcano) in the Cascade Range. Native American tribes of the area have given numerous names to this peak, but the most prominent one is Tahoma or Tacoma , a name still used by some. Officially, however, it is called Mt. Rainier , a name given by the British explorer George Vancouver in the 1790s.

5

Lake Superior/Gitche Gumee

The largest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, is one of the biggest freshwater reserves in the world. Its current name originated when French explorers, after traversing Lake Huron, called this lake le lac supérieur (‘the lake above’). After the French and Indian War, the British simply translated the name. However, this lake also has a native name, usually transliterated as Gitche Gumee, a name used by the poet Longfellow in his work The Song of Hiawatha .

6

Mt. Rushmore/The Six Grandfathers

This mountain has been considered a sacred place by many tribes of the region —such as the Arapaho, Cheyenne, or Lakota Sioux— who named it ‘The Six Grandfathers’ after their ancestral deities . The place gained its current name when Charles E. Rushmore, a lawyer surveilling the area as a representative of a mining company, asked the name of the mountain. His guide replied that it had no name, but it would from that day be called ‘Rushmore’. The name stuck, and was officially recognized a few decades later.

7

Mission San Antonio de Valero/The Alamo

The battle of the Alamo is a well-known episode in Texan history, and its location is considered a shrine to Texan valor and liberty. However, what many don’t know is that the place is called Mission San Antonio de Valero , a name given by the Spanish. Where does the ‘Alamo’ name come from? After the place stopped being used as a Catholic mission, it became a military fortress, housing a military unit nicknamed Álamo de Parras after their city of origin, a nickname that extended to the site.

8

Cloud Gate/The Bean

Chicago regulars (and even those who never set foot in Chicago) know that The Bean is as iconic as it gets when talking about the city. Inspired by liquid mercury, this impressive sculpture might be shaped like a ginormous jellybean, but its official name is Cloud Gate . The sculptor, Anish Kapoor, initially disliked the popular nickname, but he has reportedly come to terms with it, even saying that he now calls it ‘the Bean’ too.

9

State House Bell/Liberty Bell

At its birth, this bell was simply the bell of the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall). Cast in the 18th century, it cracked the first time it was rung. It was recast twice, but it cracked again in the 19th century. Allegedly rung after the Declaration of Independence, it was hidden during the Revolutionary War, and it changed hands several times in the following century. Despite its popular association with the American Revolution, the ‘Liberty Bell’ name was actually given by anti-slavery groups , who took it as a symbol due to its inscription reading "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."

10

Cape Canaveral/Cape Kennedy

Originally named Cabo Cañaveral by the Spanish after its abundance of canes, its name was simply anglicized after the territory became part of the United States. In the 20th century, Cape Canaveral became the center of a series of missile and rocket tests, and it was the launch site of the Apollo 11 mission. A few days after J.F.K.’s assassination, the newly-instated President Johnson publicly announced that the cape would be renamed ‘Cape Kennedy’ as a memorial . The name change was not well-received by local Floridians, and the original name was reinstated a decade later, with the full support of the Kennedy family. The NASA space center is still named after President Kennedy.