12 Misconceptions About History That Won’t Go Away
This listicle highlights some of the most popular but inaccurate beliefs about history that people still repeat today.
- Daisy Montero
- 4 min read
History is full of myths that sound true but are not backed by facts. People still picture things like Vikings wearing horns or Napoleon being unusually short, even though historians have long debunked them. Here are 12 persistent historical myths that continue to fool people.
1. Vikings Never Wore Horned Helmets
Silar on Pexels
Many imagine Vikings charging into battle with horned helmets, but that idea came from 19th-century opera costumes, not real archaeology. Authentic Viking helmets were practical and simple, designed for protection. The horned version is pure fiction.
2. Napoleon Was Not Extremely Short
Jacques-Louis David on Wikimedia Commons
Napoleon’s supposed shortness came from a confusion between French and English measurement systems. He was actually around average height for his time. The “short Napoleon” stereotype stuck because it made for an easy insult.
3. People in the Middle Ages Did Bathe
Bibliothèque nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Français 137, f. 49v on Wikimedia Commons
The idea that medieval people never washed is exaggerated. Public bathhouses and private bathing were common until certain plagues and church rules discouraged them. Cleanliness mattered more than we often assume.
4. The Great Wall of China Is Not Visible from Space
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas on Pexels
Astronauts have confirmed that the Great Wall is not visible to the naked eye from space. It blends into the natural landscape too much. The myth stuck because the Wall is so massive on Earth.
5. Marie Antoinette Never Said “Let Them Eat Cake”
Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun on Wikimedia Commons
The famous phrase was written decades before Marie Antoinette’s time and has no connection to her. Historians believe it was wrongly attached to her to fuel negative public opinion. It’s one of history’s most repeated misquotes.
6. The Pyramids Were Not Built by Slaves
KennyOMG on Pexels
Evidence shows the workers who built the pyramids were paid laborers, not slaves. They lived in nearby villages and received food, shelter, and wages for their work. This changes the story of how Egypt’s greatest monuments were made.
7. Columbus Did Not Prove the Earth Was Round
Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio on Wikimedia Commons
People in Columbus’s time already knew the Earth was round. His voyage was about finding a faster route to Asia, not proving a point about science. The flat-Earth myth was added later to dramatize his story.
8. Salem Witch Trials Were Not About Burning Witches
Joseph E., ca. 1837-1914, artist. on Wikimedia Commons
Contrary to popular belief, the accused in Salem were hanged, not burned. The burning stories come from European witch hunts, not New England. Salem’s dark history is grim enough without the added myth.
9. Gladiators Did Not Always Fight to the Death
photogravure Goupil on Wikimedia Commons
Roman gladiators were valuable investments, and most battles ended before one fighter died. Many matches were more like sporting events than deadly duels. Hollywood exaggerated the bloodshed for drama.
10. The Trojan Horse May Be More Metaphor Than Fact
Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada on Pexels
The wooden horse that brought down Troy is likely a symbolic tale rather than a literal war tactic. Some historians think it refers to siege equipment or even a natural disaster. The story endures as myth more than history.
11. Einstein Did Not Fail Math as a Child
Einstein Did Not Fail Math as a Child on Wikimedia Commons
Despite the rumor, Albert Einstein was always good at math and excelled in it from a young age. The myth likely came from confusion about grading systems. His struggles were with language, not numbers.
12. Washington’s Wooden Teeth Were a Myth
Adolf Ulrik Wertmüller on Wikimedia Commons
George Washington had many dental problems, but his false teeth were made of materials like ivory, gold, and even animal teeth — not wood. The wooden teeth story became popular because his dentures looked worn and stained.