Facts and Fiction

Sarah Winchester Built a Mystery House

2009-09-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

Oliver Winchester is perhaps most known for having developed the gun that won the west, the Winchester repeating rifle. One other famous creation however is also associated with his family name, the Winchester Mystery House.

When Oliver and his son William passed away, the family fortune was inherited by William’s wife, Sarah. A medium told Sarah that the restless ghosts of those who had been killed by Winchester rifles had to be appeased. The only way to do so was to continuously build a house without completing it that would be acceptable to the ghosts.

Sarah started building in 1884 in Santa Clara, California. Carpenters worked every day for 38 years until Sarah’s death in 1922. The house cost more than $5 million dollars and has 160 rooms, 10,000 window panes, 950 (some sources say 2000) doors and 40 staircases.

The mansion is odd in many ways. One theory for its oddities is that Sarah felt the need to confuse the ghosts. Some stairways, doors and windows were built in a convoluted jumble or lead nowhere.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

One version of Sarah’s story says she had more than conscience bothering her. She may have also been driven by intense fear. The medium was also said to have told her that the ghosts were responsible for the deaths of her husband and infant daughter and that they were out for revenge. If the house was not built, Sarah would die.

*Photo of Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, CA from www.winchestermysteryhouse.com

Lincoln and Kennedy had Uncanny Parallels

2009-08-03T02:32:00.000-07:00

The amazing similarities between the lives and deaths of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy have already made repetitive rounds in the internet. It’s about time I added it to my trivia collection. To add value to it, I’ve attached a postscript detailing some inaccuracies that have been added to the original list of parallels and an account of how critics generally view the parallels.

Lincoln was elected to congress in 1846 and to the presidency in 1860. Kennedy was elected to congress in 1946 and to the presidency in 1960. Both were succeeded by southerners who both had the last name Johnson. Andrew Johnson who succeeded Lincoln was born in 1808. Lyndon B. Johnson who succeeded Kennedy was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth who killed Lincoln was born in 1839 while Lee Harvey Oswald who killed Kennedy was born in 1939. Both assassins were southerners, had fifteen letters to their names and died before their trials. Both presidents were shot on a Friday and were both shot in the backs of their heads in the presence of their wives. Lincoln was shot in Ford’s theater while Kennedy was shot in a Lincoln car made by Ford.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

Some inaccuracies have eventually been added to this trivia. One is that Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy. There is no record of this, although NY Police Superintendent John Kennedy did show concern for Lincoln’s safety and Kennedy did have a personal secretary named Lincoln who may or may not have been concerned for Kennedy’s safety.

One other glaring inaccuracy is related to where the assassins fled after their crimes. It is true that Oswald shot Kennedy from a warehouse and eventually fled to a theater. It is also true that Booth shot Lincoln in a theater but he did not, as some sources say, flee to a warehouse. He fled to a farm and was killed there. Some sources say that two years after Booth’s death, his body stayed for awhile in a warehouse and the theater where Lincoln was shot once became partly a warehouse.

Some sources also cite Lincoln was in Monroe, Maryland a week before he died while Kennedy was with Marilyn Monroe a week before he died. It is difficult to verify these pieces of information from expert historical sources.

Critics say that there is nothing amazing about these historical parallels. It has been suggested that parallels can be found in any two people’s lives if one tried hard enough. Critics also argue that only the similarities have been mentioned. The dissimilarities in Lincoln and Kennedy’s lives have been conveniently left out.

Nonetheless, reading just the parallels can give you a somewhat creepy feeling.

A Monk May Have Stopped Rome's Gladiatorial Games

2009-07-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

Emperor Honorius put an end to the schools for gladiators in the year 399AD. It wasn't until about 404AD however that the gladiatorial games themselves ceased.

One story from the bishop and historian Theodoret recounts that a monk by the name of Telemachus was responsible for the end of the brutal games. During the supposed last game, Telemachus rushed out and yelled, "In the name of Christ, stop!" The crowd was so annoyed at the interruption that they stoned Telemachus to death. It was this monk's act that made Honorius finally decide to ban the games.

Fact or Fiction?
There is a lot of heated debate over Telemachus' story and historians seem divided. Some say that the story could not have been true because no other historian but Theodoret was able to mention of Telemachus' existence and write an account of his brave act. There is however, still a fair number of people who continue to support the story.

Women Were Not Allowed in the Ancient Olympics

2009-06-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

The ancient Olympics were held in Greece from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. For most of this time women were barred from participating or being present in any of the games. The penalty for women disguised in male garb who were caught in attendance was to be thrown off the cliff.

Fact or Fiction?
This seems to be more fact than fiction although it’s hard to check if there were any years in which this rule was relaxed. Despite the prohibition in participation though, women were still allowed to own chariots used for competition.

Amelia Earhart Disappeared Without a Trace Over the Pacific

2009-06-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

“Whatever happened to Amelia Earhart?” is not just the lyrics to a popular song. It really is a question that people have been asking for more than half a century.

Earhart was a female pioneer in the field of American aviation, becoming the first person to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1937, she attempted to become the first woman to circumnavigate the world. Accompanied by navigator Fred Noonan, Earhart set off on her journey on June 1. On July 2, no trace of Earhart, Noonan or her plane could be found. They disappeared en route to Howland Island in the Pacific region.

The government spent $4 million looking for Earhart and Noonan but they were never found. Although there are a number of theories, no one knows what truly happened to Amelia Earhart to this very day.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

King Cobras are the Only Snakes that Make Nests

2009-05-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Snakes aren’t known for being great parents. The female king cobra however, is one of the exceptions. It is the only snake known to make nests for its eggs. The female cobra uses its body to gather leaves and twigs. She lays her eggs at the center, covers the area with more leaves and coils on top to keep the eggs warm and protected. She can lay about 20-40 eggs. She stays with the eggs for the entire duration of the incubation period of about 60-85 days to ward off egg predators. She leaves shortly before the eggs hatch. It has been theorized that female king cobras do this to protect the eggs from themselves. King cobras are known snake eaters.

Fact or Fiction
Fact!

Taylor May Have Been Assassinated First

2009-05-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

History says that Abraham Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated. A different theory however, supported by novelist Clara Rising proposes that it may have been Zachary Taylor.

Taylor died in 1850 under what may have been suspicious circumstances. Accounts say that Taylor walked back to the White House after having attended a celebration of the construction of the Washington monument. Inside, he ate a meal of milk and vegetables. He fell ill afterwards, suffering from cramps and vomiting. He died after six days.

There may have been motivation for poisoning Taylor. Although he was a slave owner, he was against extending slavery to Utah, New Mexico and California. Political supporters of slavery extension may have been seriously displeased.

Tests for arsenic were performed on the exhumed body of the president in 1991. The results however were a blow to the Taylor assassination theory. He did not test positive for arsenic poisoning.

Fact or Fiction?
To this day, gastroenteritis or severe ulcers are still regarded as the possible causes of Taylor’s death. Some maintain however that the president’s body was tested only for arsenic. There were other poisonous substances that an assassin could have used. This however is not an angle that many historians entertain.

*Photo from the White House Historical Society

Sheep Once Trimmed the White House Lawn

2009-04-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

It's common in my country to see goats and cows enjoying buffet meals on clumps of greens in both rural and urban areas. It would be quite a surprise though to hear of a similar scene transpiring in a country like the U.S. What some do not know though is that sheep really did roam freely to trim nothing less than the White House lawn.

Woodrow Wilson introduced sheep to the White House lawn during the First World War in 1917. The effort reportedly reduced lawn maintenance costs and allowed regular gardeners to participate in the war. Aside from keeping their area of assignment neat and tidy, the sheep also grew wool. Their wool was sold for thousands of dollars for the benefit of the Red Cross.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

2009-04-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Traditionally in Britain, the V-sign with palm facing inward is considered a grave insult. The sign still basically retains its insulting connotation in modern Britain. This is despite the growing popularity of the middle finger as an alternative insult and the evolution of the V-sign with palm outward as a sign of victory or peace in other countries.

There is a story that the V-sign as an insult started during the Battle of Agincourt between the English and French in 1415 during the Hundred Years War. The English longbowmen at this time were known for their skill. The French boasted that they would cut off the arrow fingers of any English archer they could capture. Some accounts of the story go as far as to say that the French actually performed their threat.

Fortunately for the English, they won the battle. The V-sign insult was then said to have been used at this time by the English to taunt their French opponents.

Fact or Fiction?
Probably Fiction

Many historians agree that it is hard to pin down the origins of the V-sign to the Battle of Agincourt. There are no clear documents and proof that support this theory. Some say that the story is simply a myth. The real origin of the sign however, largely remains a mystery.

Bonus Trivia: During the Second World War, Winston Churchill attempted to attack a new meaning to the V-sign. For him it meant victory. He initially used the sign with palm facing inward. Later on in the war however, he reversed his palm to face outward. It has been suggested that someone might have told him what the palm inward version meant for the masses.

*Photo by richardaustin1

"Welsh" was Derived from a Word that Meant "Foreign"

2009-03-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

It was in the mid 5th century that tribes from the north began settling in England shortly after the departure of the Romans. Among these tribes were the Angles and the Saxons. As the tribes came, the local inhabitants of England were either absorbed into the new cultures or were driven away. The displaced original inhabitants came to be known as "wealisc" or "foreign." It is from this word that "Welsh" is derived.

*Photo from FreeFoto

Vlad the Impaler has Two Sides to His Story

2009-03-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Most of us would probably know Vlad the Impaler only as the historical figure that inspired Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. Vlad the Impaler was the ruler of Walachia in 1456. He was also known as Vlad III and Vlad Dracula. His last name can be presently interpreted as “devil.”

Some say that he may have inspired the fictional vampire Dracula because he lusted for blood and was excessively and unbelievably cruel. His favorite method of torturing and killing was by impaling his victims from the anus up or vice versa. He is said to have allegedly impaled thousands of people including women and children. Aside from impalement, he also used skinning, disembowelment, scalping, burning and disfigurement. One account says he once feasted on the blood and flesh of his victims.

Surprisingly though, scholars reveal that some excessive accounts of Vlad’s cruelty may have only been the work of his detractors. Many modern day Romanians see him as a hero and nationalist and do not acknowledge any connections between him and the fictional vampire. There is no doubt that Vlad III was truly cruel and was really an impaler but his supporters claim that he was a just ruler and was only cruel because he wanted to impose a strict moral code to encourage people to work hard and be honest.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

You Can Blame Your Immune System for Those Patches

2009-03-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Most people who suffer from hair loss and baldness can really just blame their genes and hormones. There is however, a condition known as alopecia areata which results in a different kind of baldness. People who have this condition end up with patches of bald spots on their scalps. It is an autoimmune disorder. For some unknown reason, the immune system suddenly goes wacko and starts attacking innocent hair follicles.

Fact of Fiction?
Fact!

Romulus May Have Been a Real Man

2009-03-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

They say there are often two versions of a story of the origin of a place. One story is the boring believable one while the other is the amazing, legendary one. In the case of Rome, archeological findings seem bent on marrying humdrum reality and legend.

It has been theorized that Rome was born gradually with the coming together of separate settlements from each of the Seven Hills of Rome. Another theory says that Rome may have been built first as a humble settlement before others came to join it.

As many would already know, Roman legend states that the god of war, Mars, had twin sons, Romulus and Remus. The twins were abandoned on the Tiber River. A she-wolf found them and fed them her milk in the Lupercal, a cave underneath the Palatine Hill. After killing Remus, Romulus established Rome in the 8th century B.C. and became its first king.

In 1988, archeologist Andrea Carandini unearthed remnants of a fortified wall on the Palatine Hill. Testing revealed that the wall was constructed at about the same time that legend says Romulus established Rome. Just this week a cave which was found 52 feet underneath the Palatine Hill was discovered. Archeologists believe it is Romulus’ Lupercal although other experts also dispute the find. Are these discoveries proof that there really was a Romulus who founded Rome?

Of course, other specialists caution that the findings do not necessarily mean that the legend is true or that Romulus really existed.

Fact of Fiction?
Fact- about the finding one POSSIBLE location of the Lupercal. The debate continues about Romulus’ existence and alternative locations of the Lupercal.

SMOM a Smaller Country than the Vatican

2009-03-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, Vatican City is still officially the smallest country. It is interesting to note though that some amateur political theorists used to argue that the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) located in Rome is really the smallest country in the world. One source states that the territory of SMOM is smaller than a football field.

Some people think that this Catholic order is also a country because it is a sovereign entity with a constitutional charter and a government with executive, legislative and judicial divisions. It has permanent observer status in the UN and has diplomatic relations with 99 countries. It has its own currency and issues its own passports and license plates.

Experts argue though that it is neither a state nor a country because it does not have an economy and substantial territory.

What do the members of this order do while others argue over their classification? They provide humanitarian aid to many places around the world.

Fact or Fiction?
I would have to say “Fiction!” about its being the smallest country.

Some People Can't Recognize Faces

2009-02-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

It’s normal to forget names and faces. I have yet to meet a person who can recall every person he has met. Normally though, we often have recollections of faces we have encountered and simply forget the names. It’s an entirely different story for people with prosopagnosia.

Prosopagnosia is also known as face blindness and is a disorder in which a person has problems recognizing faces. Individuals with this condition may suffer in varying degrees. Severely afflicted people however may not be able to recognize family, friends and even themselves. In some cases, a person may even find it hard to differentiate between faces and objects.

Prosopagnosia may be caused by severe head injuries or it may run in the family.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

Joan of Arc's Heart Didn't Burn

2009-02-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

Everything that has ever happened and is happening has always been open to speculation. It’s probably human nature to doubt and to question. One life story that has been and still is being questioned is Joan of Arc’s, a woman who defied the conventions of her time and led a brief but very amazing life.

In the 15th century when women were considered little more than freeloaders who had no rights, Joan, a peasant dressed in male armor, led the French army for a very brief period during the Hundred Years War. Her leadership eventually led to a series of victories that culminated in the crowning of Charles VII as king of France in Reims. Joan credited everything to God who sent her divine voices that guided her actions and decisions.

Joan was eventually captured by the English, tried for heresy and burned at the stake. She was only 19 years old then. It is said that when her ashes were inspected, her heart was found intact and refused to burn despite repeated attempts. Her ashes and heart were thrown into the Seine. Twenty-four years after her death, the verdict was nullified. She was declared a Catholic saint and martyr 500 years after she died.

Fact or Fiction?
Some sources write off the story of her heart as a mere legend. Others do not mention it at all but several books and scholarly sources say that there were witnesses who saw her heart intact after her body had been burned.

Alexander Cut the Gordian Knot

2009-02-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

I’ve never had a past boss tell me to cut the Gordian knot before. If you have heard that from your manager you not only have a boss who sounds weird but you also have the misfortune of having someone who expects the impossible from you. Chances are, he wants you to solve an extremely difficult problem quickly and decisively. He also probably wants you to be just like Alexander the Great, someone most of us will never be like even if we spent our entire lives trying to copy him.

Legend has it that when Alexander entered the city of Gordion, he was faced with a chariot or cart that was tied with an intricate knot. It was prophesied that whoever could untie the knot would become a great ruler or conqueror. Without so much as a knit brow, Alexander unsheathed his sword and cut the knot in half. That either proved that there was some truth to the prophecy or that the people of Gordion were poor puzzle makers who didn’t think out of the box.

These days though, organizational problems would hardly call for cutting the Gordian knot. Try doing that and you could end up with a mob of employees ranting and raving over corporate tyranny.

Fact or Fiction?
Again, the authenticity of this dramatic, hard to believe incident is disputed.

Lady Godiva Was an Early Activist

2009-01-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

It is quite common in a lot of countries these days for people to take their causes to the streets. Gone are the days though when protesters simply waved placards or lay dying of hunger on the streets. These days a lot of controversial rallies feature radicals in the nude. These modern activists are not the first of their kind. Lady Godiva probably was.

According to legend, Godiva, a noblewoman in medieval 11th century England and the wife of the Earl of Mercia, begged her husband to cut the heavy taxes required from the residents of Coventry. The earl became weary of his wife’s constant pleas that he told her that she would have her way if she rode naked on a horse. It is unclear whether Godiva rode through the streets in her undergarment or whether she only had her hair to cover her nakedness. Most of us are wont to believe the latter, more dramatic version of the story.

Fact or Fiction?
Sigh. Lady Godiva’s story is inspiring to say the least but unfortunately the authenticity of her tale is still widely disputed.

*Painting by the artist John Collier- Lady Godiva (1898)

Pigeon Parents Have Milk

2009-01-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

Who would've thought that an animal can teach us a lot about parenting and gender roles?

Pigeon chicks actually feed on their parents’ milk for a few days after hatching. The chicks get the milk from a sac located near the throat of a parent pigeon. Both male and female parents have this sac. Pigeon parents share the responsibility of caring for their chicks equally. That’s fair and responsible parenting for you! Now if we can only get our husbands to produce breast milk... That would be an interesting study for a female geneticist.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact! (I mean the one about the pigeons!)

Photo by Ian Britton at Freefoto.com

Henry VIII had Six Wives

2009-01-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

When Henry VIII of England died, he had a track record of having had six wives. His first one was Catherine of Aragon. When he fell in love with Anne Boleyn, he sought permission from the pope to divorce Catherine. The pope however, refused to give his consent. Because of this, Henry VIII broke away from the Catholic Church and established the Church of England. He eventually married Anne.

After sometime however, he grew dissatisfied with Anne and had her beheaded under, what some scholars say were fabricated evidences of adultery and witchcraft. Anne was followed by four other women. Jane Seymour died while giving birth, Anne of Cleves was divorced and Kathryn Howard was beheaded. Catherine Parr, the last wife was fortunate enough to have not been divorced and beheaded. Henry VIII had already died before Catherine Parr could suffer a sad fate.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

The Allies Once Fooled the Germans

2009-01-12T23:14:00.000-08:00

If not for British ingenuity, who knows how World War II would've ended?

On April 30, 1943, while World War II was still raging, German soldiers discovered a washed up body in the coast of Spain. Based on documents found on the body, they identified the person as British Major William Martin. The Germans however found more than just clues to his identity, they also found official documents pointing to an Allied invasion of Sardinia. The Germans believed the documents and mustered forces in Sardinia. The Allies however were really aiming for Sicily. With German attention in Sardinia, Sicily fell easily into Allied hands and effectively set in motion the events that would lead to the downfall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Major Martin was in effect only an elaborate ruse.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

Swans Oil Themselves to Keep Afloat

2009-01-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

The webbed feet of swans are one reason why they can swim well. There is another reason though why swans can keep themselves floating on water even when they just sit still. Swans have body oil and they usually coat their feathers with this oil whenever they groom themselves. As most of us know, oil doesn’t mix or sink in water. That’s the secret why heavy-bodied swans don’t sink.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

*Photo from PD Photo

There Was a Real Man in an Iron Mask

2009-01-06T00:28:00.000-08:00

Some of us would probably remember the 90s film The Man in the Iron Mask starring a seemingly pubescent, beardless, clueless Leonardo Dicaprio. It was based on a story written by Alexander Dumas. The famous writer however apparently based his story on a real historical incident.

Seventy years after the death of King Louis XIV, an angry mob stormed the Bastille and found a mysterious entry in the prison’s books—a prisoner number and the title Man in the Iron Mask. There was apparently a man who was a prisoner from 1669-1703 during the reign of Louis XIV. It is believed that his identity was really masked not by an iron mask but by a velvet mask.

Since then to this day, there have been numerous guesses as to the real identity of the man. There is now a total of 60 theories as to his identity and connection to the king. It has been said that the man could have been the king’s true father or his bastard brother.

Fact or Fiction?
Fact!

*Photo from Free Foto

Cuckold Originated from Cuckoo

2009-01-01T22:23:00.000-08:00

Cuckold is essentially a mocking term for a husband who has an unfaithful or adulterous wife. The term is taken from the cuckoo, a bird that makes cooing sounds. Female cuckoos of some species usually lay their eggs in the nests of other birds so that the nest owners are left with the task of hatching the eggs and caring for the chicks. Medieval French and English societies apparently took note of this trait of the female cuckoo and linked their observation to the behavior of some women.

Fact or Fiction
Fact!

People in Medieval England Bathed Only Once a Year

2008-12-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

It is popularly believed that people in medieval

England

bathed themselves only once a year. This practice has even been credited for the reason behind the term June bride. People took a bath in May when the weather wasn’t so cold and got married in June when they were still fresh. One story also says that since large amounts of water were difficult to heat and transport, all the members of a household took turns washing themselves on only one tub of water. The men of the household bathed first, followed by children and women.

It is possible that the nobility could have taken baths more often than ordinary peasants. Another account says though that even Queen Elizabeth I herself only bathed thrice a year. Could this mean that the members of her court took even fewer baths?

Fact or Fiction?
English medieval bathing practices have often been hotly disputed. In fact, there are now numerous web pages dedicated to simply proving the popular beliefs to be wrong.