Culture Culture 4 min read

Debunking myths

Famous Americans: The myths everyone believes and why they’re wrong

Image: JR Harris

No doubt, we love a good legend. Give us a glamorous movie star, a sports hero, or a cultural icon, and we’ll happily embroider the facts to make a story sparkle. But many of the tales we repeat with total confidence never actually happened . Here are some of the most stubborn myths about famous Americans, and (hopefully) the real stories behind them.

1
Elizabeth Taylor had purple eyes

Image: Studio publicity still, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Elizabeth Taylor’s stare really did look otherworldly, so fans started saying she had naturally violet eyes, calling it a genetic rarity fit for a Hollywood goddess.

In reality, her eyes were a deep blue that photographed with an unusual richness, especially when paired with lavender clothing, dramatic lighting, or the era’s film stock.

2
There was a long-standing feud between Venus and Serena Williams

Image: Jimmie48 Photography

The Williams sisters have faced each other on the world’s biggest tennis stages, which naturally fueled talk of a bitter, lifelong rift. The truth is far less dramatic.

Their relationship, by their own accounts, has been a mix of intense competitiveness and unwavering loyalty, exactly what you’d expect from two elite athletes raised side by side.

3
Michael Jackson bought the Elephant Man’s bones

Image: RJA1988

During the height of his fame, Michael Jackson couldn’t sneeze without generating rumors. One of the wildest was that he purchased the bones of Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man," a Victorian-era Englishman who had been famous in his life due to his severe, rare physical deformities.

But this whole story had been a publicity stunt released by his own team to promote the album Bad in 1987. Jackson later denied the claims, but he did admit that he had always felt a kinship for Merrick and that more than once he had visited his remains, which had been kept at Royal London Hospital since his death in 1890.

4
Many listeners panicked during the "War of the Worlds" broadcast

Image: Muhammed ÖÇAL

For generations, many have repeated the tale of Americans running into the streets in terror after Orson Welles’s 1938 broadcast about a fictional Martian invasion.

While some listeners were confused or alarmed, the supposed nationwide chaos was wildly exaggerated. Newspapers of the era had a vested interest in making radio look irresponsible, and they pumped the story up accordingly.

5
Judy Garland made less than Toto in "The Wizard of Oz"

Image: Stainless Images

This rumor survives because it’s shocking and symbolic: In this 1939 production, Hollywood underpaid its young star so badly that even the dog earned more.

But Judy Garland was paid roughly $500 a week , which would be equivalent to $12,000 today. That was four times what was given to Carl Spitz, owner and trainer of the female Cairn Terrier named Terry, who played Toto. Spitz earned about $125 a week ($3,000 today). Some background actors did earn less than the dog, which may be the fact that gave birth to the myth.

6
Harrison Ford was discovered while working as a carpenter for George Lucas

Image: Craft Kitties

Hollywood loves an "accidental discovery" story, so Harrison Ford supposedly landing Star Wars while hammering nails for George Lucas became an instant classic.

The real version is less exciting. Ford did work as a carpenter to support his family, and he had already acted for Lucas in American Graffiti . When Star Wars came around, his talent and his existing relationship with the director mattered far more than his toolbox.

7
Marilyn Monroe was fragile and camera-shy

Image: Europeana

Marilyn Monroe is often dismissed as a pretty face who could barely get through a scene, but that stereotype hides a more complicated reality. The superstar did struggle with intense anxiety, insomnia, and low self-esteem. Anecdotes report that she was often late to set or that she requested dozens of takes.

But the blanket claim that she was incapable is debunked by her collection of performances. Some of her directors defended that she was undeniably magnetic and mastered camera presence. Her struggles were born from relentless perfectionism and a fight to be taken seriously in a system that constantly patronized her.

8
Elvis Presley once gave a blind fan concert tickets for life

Image: Lara Wehbe

Over the years, an irresistibly sweet story surfaced about Elvis gifting a blind girl a lifetime of free concert tickets and a large check. It’s touching, but as far as anyone can verify, it never actually happened.

There’s no record of the alleged gift in estate archives, major biographies, or credible reporting. What is true is that Elvis was famously generous, which probably helped this seem like something he could have done.

9
Babe Ruth was orphaned as a young boy

Image: Steshka Croes

Babe Ruth’s larger-than-life charisma lent itself to rags-to-riches storytelling, and somewhere along the way, people began claiming he grew up as a true orphan.

In reality, Ruth was sent to St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore, Maryland, because his parents struggled with his behavior, not because they had died. The institution played a huge role in shaping both his childhood and his baseball skills, but his parents remained alive during those early years.

10
Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen

Image: serjan midili

A die-hard urban legend! The idea that Walt himself is frozen in a hidden chamber under Disneyland might be the most famous of them all. The truth is much more ordinary: he was cremated shortly after his death in 1966.

The cryonics rumor appeared almost immediately, likely because the technology was making headlines and Disney’s legacy already felt larger than life.

History History 5 min read

What First Lady was accused of bigamy? 10 political crises

Image: EQRoy

From the founding era to the turn of the 21st century, political scandals have shaped public trust and dismantled entire careers. Looking back at ten of the most notorious political crises in American history reveals how the intersection of media and culture forces the nation to look in the mirror.

1
Rachel Jackson: A "Bigamy" scandal (1820s)

Image: L. Bernie Gallaher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1791, a young Andrew Jackson married Rachel Donelson. Both believed her first husband, Captain Lewis Robards, had successfully finalized their divorce. Apparently, Robards didn’t file the petition, making her marriage to Jackson technically bigamous. Once the divorce went through in 1794, they officially remarried.

During the 1828 presidential campaign, Jackson’s political opponents used this legal mistake against him. They branded Rachel a loose woman and a bigamist in pamphlets scattered across the country. The intense public shaming broke her spirit and deteriorated her health. She suffered a fatal heart attack just days before Jackson’s inauguration, leaving the newly elected president heartbroken and extremely bitter toward his political rivals for the rest of his life.

2
Grover Cleveland’s illegitimate child (1884)

Image: Frank Beard, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Decades later, another personal bombshell rocked another presidential race. Republican opponents revealed that Democratic nominee Grover Cleveland, a bachelor praised for his integrity, had fathered a child out of wedlock with a widow called Maria Halpin ten years before.

Republicans paraded through the streets chanting, "Ma, Ma, where’s my Pa?" Instead of denying the affair or trying to bury it, Cleveland instructed his campaign managers to do something radical: "Tell the truth." He admitted to supporting the child financially. His honesty caught his opponents off guard and won over voters who were tired of such dirty political tactics.

3
The Crédit Mobilier scandal (1872)

Image: Joseph Keppler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This particular scandal stands as one of the most shameless corporate schemes of the Gilded Age. Stockholders of the Union Pacific Railroad formed a fraudulent construction company called Crédit Mobilier of America . Then, they hired themselves to build the transcontinental railroad at inflated prices, pocketing tens of millions of dollars in federal subsidies.

To prevent Congress from investigating their profit margins, Congressman Oakes Ames distributed discounted shares of the company’s stock to influential politicians, including Vice President Schuyler Colfax. When the press exposed the story in 1872, the revelation that lawmakers were bribing themselves tarnished the legacy of the Ulysses S. Grant administration.

4
The Whiskey Ring scandal (1875)

Image: Cornell University Library, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

A few years later, another financial disaster hit the Grant administration. The Whiskey Ring was a widespread conspiracy involving distillers, distributors, and internal federal tax officials who stole millions of dollars in liquor taxes.

Using a complex web of bribes and falsified records, the ring defrauded the U.S. Treasury. The scandal reached the inner circle of power when President Grant’s own private secretary, Orville Babcock, was indicted as a ringleader. Grant provided a deposition in his secretary’s defense. While this saved Babcock from prison, it permanently damaged the president’s reputation.

5
The Teapot Dome scandal (1920s)

Image: Boyd Norton, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Until Watergate occurred, Teapot Dome was synonymous with political corruption. During the administration of Warren G. Harding, Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall took control of valuable federal oil reserves located at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and Elk Hills, California.

Instead of opening these fields up for competitive bidding among energy companies, Fall secretly leased the drilling rights to private oil tycoons in exchange for more than $400,000 in bribes.

6
The Chappaquiddick incident (1969)

Image: United Press International, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

By the mid-20th century, the nature of political scandals shifted. Secrets began to involve personal crisis and tragic losses.

In July 1969, Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy drove his car off a narrow wooden bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts. The vehicle overturned into a tidal pond, trapping and drowning his passenger, 28-year-old campaign worker Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy managed to escape but failed to report the fatal accident to the police for ten hours. Although he eventually pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, his delayed reaction ended his lifelong presidential ambitions.

7
The Pentagon Papers (1971)

Image: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1971, military analyst Daniel Ellsberg felt the moral obligation to leak a top-secret 7,000-page Department of Defense study detailing U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967.

Published by The New York Times , the papers exposed a disturbing truth: successive administrations had systematically lied to both Congress and the American public. The documents proved that the government had expanded the war and increased troop counts while knowing that the conflict was unwinnable. The Supreme Court eventually rejected the government’s attempts to block the leaks, making a victory for freedom of the press.

8
The Watergate scandal (1972–1974)

Image: National Archives & Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This is, probably, the ultimate American political scandal. In June 1972, five men were arrested breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C.

The break in itself was minor compared to the illegal cover-up orchestrated by President Richard Nixon and his collaborators. From paying hush money to instructing the CIA to block the FBI’s investigation, Nixon’s complicity was exposed via his own secret White House taping system. Facing impeachment and conviction by the Senate, Nixon became the first and only U.S. president to resign from office.

9
The "Keating Five" (Late 1980s)

Image: KonstantinChristian

During the Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s, five U.S. Senators—John McCain, Alan Cranston, Dennis DeConcini, John Glenn, and Donald Riegle—came under intense scrutiny.

The group was accused of intervening with federal banking regulators on behalf of Charles Keating, the chairman of Lincoln Savings and Loan, who had contributed to their political campaigns. Lincoln eventually collapsed, costing American taxpayers over $3 billion. Although the Senate Ethics Committee ultimately cleared the senators of corruption, they were publicly condemned.

10
The Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair (1998)

Image: Clinton White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The 20th century ended with a scandal that blended personal infidelity with a constitutional crisis. In 1998, news broke that President Bill Clinton had an intimate relationship with a 21-year-old White House intern called Monica Lewinsky.

The affair turned into a legal battle when Clinton denied the relationship under oath during an unrelated sexual harassment lawsuit. The investigation led to Clinton’s impeachment by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. The Senate ultimately acquitted him, yet he couldn’t bypass the media circus.

History History 4 min read

Weird America

Prepare to be shocked: these 10 American mysteries remain unsolved

Image: Susan Q Yin

Everyone loves a good mystery, and American history is teaming with fascinating examples. From vanished aviators to secret codes and missing treasures, these real stories have puzzled experts for decades. Some are dark, others simply strange, but all remain open chapters in our past. Take a look at the following 10 unsolved mysteries. Which ones did you already know?

1
The disappearance of Amelia Earhart (1937)

Image: Job Vermeulen

The first entry on our list is dedicated to a world-renowned flight pioneer, Amelia Earhart, who vanished while attempting to become the first woman to fly around the globe , leaving behind only fragments of her plane and endless speculation. Radio failure, poor visibility, and fuel issues are speculated to be contributing factors to her disappearance.

Even with modern technology and repeated searches, no one has ever found definitive proof of what happened to Amelia or her aircraft.

2
The D.B. Cooper hijacking (1971)

Image: Christine Trefalt

In 1971, Dan Cooper, a seemingly quiet man, boarded a plane in Portland, Oregon, which he promptly hijacked when the aircraft was in the air. He demanded $200,000 over the radio.

The plane landed in Seattle, where authorities met his demands. Cooper released all 36 passengers in exchange for the cash and parachutes. He then ordered the remaining crew to fly toward Mexico City at a low altitude and slow speed. Somewhere over southwest Washington, he lowered the aircraft's aft stairs and jumped into the freezing night, never to be seen again.

3
The disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (1975)

Image: Pavel Inozemtsev

The powerful union leader left a Detroit restaurant in 1975 and simply vanished . Witnesses last saw him standing by his car in the restaurant’s parking lot, and investigators believe he was coaxed into a car by people he recognized, thinking the meeting location had changed. He was never seen again. Searches in fields, lakes, and construction sites turned up nothing. To this day, it remains one of the most famous unsolved mysteries in American history.

Rumors range from mob connections to government cover-ups, but none have been proven. Ever since then, Hoffa’s name has become shorthand for anything that disappears without a trace.

4
The Yuba County Five (1978)

Image: Sebastian Unrau

In what came to be known as "America’s Dyatlov Pass", five friends vanished after attending a basketball game in the town of Chico, California. Months later, the bodies of four members of the group were found in the mountains under mysterious conditions .

The remaining member of the original party was never located, and their strange route into deep snow remains unexplained.

5
The Sodder Children (1975)

Image: Marita Kavelashvili

A fire destroyed the Sodder family home in West Virginia, but five children were never found among the remains of the house. Because of physical inconsistencies at the scene and strange sightings afterward, the family always believed they survived.

Over the years, strange sightings and letters fueled hope and confusion alike, but no real evidence has ever been found. Because of these clues, the Sodders never held a funeral and instead famously erected a billboard on Route 16, offering a reward for information and keeping the case in the public eye for decades.

6
The Springfield Three (1992)

Image: David Holgerson

On a warm summer night in 1992, Sherrill Sherrill Levitt, her daughter Suzie, and Suzie's friend Stacy vanished from their home in Springfield, Missouri, leaving behind their cars, purses, and even the family dog .

Friends arriving the next morning found the house empty but unlocked. Despite thousands of leads, no evidence or remains have surfaced. The case remains one of the most talked-about disappearances in small-town America to this day.

7
The Gardner Museum Heist (1990)

Image: Dannie Jing

Back in 1990, two men dressed as police officers entered Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 works of art worth over $500 million .

No piece has ever been recovered. Empty frames still hang on the museum walls, a quiet tribute to one of history’s most expensive thefts.

8
The Max Headroom broadcast hijack (1987)

Image: Rubenz Arizta

1980s television viewers might remember Max Headroom as a somewhat clumsy computer AI TV personality and ad spokesperson. In 1987, Chicago viewers were startled when a strange figure wearing a Max Headroom mask interrupted TV broadcasts with odd messages .

The stunt lasted only seconds, but no one was ever caught or identified. It remains one of the strangest unsolved moments in television history.

9
The Great Lakes ghost ships

Image: Kyle Larivee

Over the years, s everal ships have vanished or been found adrift on the Great Lakes , their crews gone without explanation. Cold weather, sudden storms, and superstition all play roles in the stories, but some cases defy logic. The vast inland seas are simply too big to be accessible with the current technology.

Among the most notable unsolved cases, we can mention Le Griffon, a ship that vanished during her maiden voyage in 1679, the SS Banockburn, known as the "Flying Dutchman of Lake Superior," disappeared during a storm in 1902, or the SS Chicora, a luxury steamer lost in a violent winter gale while carrying a cargo of flour, in 1895.

10
The Dulce Base Mystery

Image: Pict4life

Beginning in the 1970s, a constant array of strange lights, unmarked aircraft, and talk of secret tunnels near the town of Dulce has fueled decades of conspiracy theories in this otherwise quiet area to this day.

While skeptics blame radar tests or imagination, locals still report odd sightings in the desert skies.

Famous Americans: The myths everyone believes and why they’re wrong

1
Elizabeth Taylor had purple eyes

2
There was a long-standing feud between Venus and Serena Williams

3
Michael Jackson bought the Elephant Man’s bones

4
Many listeners panicked during the "War of the Worlds" broadcast

5
Judy Garland made less than Toto in "The Wizard of Oz"

6
Harrison Ford was discovered while working as a carpenter for George Lucas

7
Marilyn Monroe was fragile and camera-shy

8
Elvis Presley once gave a blind fan concert tickets for life

9
Babe Ruth was orphaned as a young boy

10
Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen

What First Lady was accused of bigamy? 10 political crises

1
Rachel Jackson: A "Bigamy" scandal (1820s)

2
Grover Cleveland’s illegitimate child (1884)

3
The Crédit Mobilier scandal (1872)

4
The Whiskey Ring scandal (1875)

5
The Teapot Dome scandal (1920s)

6
The Chappaquiddick incident (1969)

7
The Pentagon Papers (1971)

8
The Watergate scandal (1972–1974)

9
The "Keating Five" (Late 1980s)

10
The Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair (1998)

Prepare to be shocked: these 10 American mysteries remain unsolved

1
The disappearance of Amelia Earhart (1937)

2
The D.B. Cooper hijacking (1971)

3
The disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (1975)

4
The Yuba County Five (1978)

5
The Sodder Children (1975)

6
The Springfield Three (1992)

7
The Gardner Museum Heist (1990)

8
The Max Headroom broadcast hijack (1987)

9
The Great Lakes ghost ships

10
The Dulce Base Mystery

Other articles you might like

Explore more American facts

Famous Americans: The myths everyone believes and why they’re wrong

1 Elizabeth Taylor had purple eyes

2 There was a long-standing feud between Venus and Serena Williams

3 Michael Jackson bought the Elephant Man’s bones

4 Many listeners panicked during the "War of the Worlds" broadcast

5 Judy Garland made less than Toto in "The Wizard of Oz"

6 Harrison Ford was discovered while working as a carpenter for George Lucas

7 Marilyn Monroe was fragile and camera-shy

8 Elvis Presley once gave a blind fan concert tickets for life

9 Babe Ruth was orphaned as a young boy

10 Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen

What First Lady was accused of bigamy? 10 political crises

1 Rachel Jackson: A "Bigamy" scandal (1820s)

2 Grover Cleveland’s illegitimate child (1884)

3 The Crédit Mobilier scandal (1872)

4 The Whiskey Ring scandal (1875)

5 The Teapot Dome scandal (1920s)

6 The Chappaquiddick incident (1969)

7 The Pentagon Papers (1971)

8 The Watergate scandal (1972–1974)

9 The "Keating Five" (Late 1980s)

10 The Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair (1998)

Prepare to be shocked: these 10 American mysteries remain unsolved

1 The disappearance of Amelia Earhart (1937)

2 The D.B. Cooper hijacking (1971)

3 The disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (1975)

4 The Yuba County Five (1978)

5 The Sodder Children (1975)

6 The Springfield Three (1992)

7 The Gardner Museum Heist (1990)

8 The Max Headroom broadcast hijack (1987)

9 The Great Lakes ghost ships

10 The Dulce Base Mystery

Other articles you might like

Explore more American facts

1
Elizabeth Taylor had purple eyes

2
There was a long-standing feud between Venus and Serena Williams

3
Michael Jackson bought the Elephant Man’s bones

4
Many listeners panicked during the "War of the Worlds" broadcast

5
Judy Garland made less than Toto in "The Wizard of Oz"

6
Harrison Ford was discovered while working as a carpenter for George Lucas

7
Marilyn Monroe was fragile and camera-shy

8
Elvis Presley once gave a blind fan concert tickets for life

9
Babe Ruth was orphaned as a young boy

10
Walt Disney is cryogenically frozen

1
Rachel Jackson: A "Bigamy" scandal (1820s)

2
Grover Cleveland’s illegitimate child (1884)

3
The Crédit Mobilier scandal (1872)

4
The Whiskey Ring scandal (1875)

5
The Teapot Dome scandal (1920s)

6
The Chappaquiddick incident (1969)

7
The Pentagon Papers (1971)

8
The Watergate scandal (1972–1974)

9
The "Keating Five" (Late 1980s)

10
The Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky affair (1998)

1
The disappearance of Amelia Earhart (1937)

2
The D.B. Cooper hijacking (1971)

3
The disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (1975)

4
The Yuba County Five (1978)

5
The Sodder Children (1975)

6
The Springfield Three (1992)

7
The Gardner Museum Heist (1990)

8
The Max Headroom broadcast hijack (1987)

9
The Great Lakes ghost ships

10
The Dulce Base Mystery