As we grow older, we are constantly reminded of how our education system failed us. We either weren’t taught a pivotal lesson of adulthood or what we were told was a lie. Textbooks are well known for their downfalls, and many misconceptions are widely believed. So, to save you from the embarrassment of finding out through casual conversation, or worse a TikTok, here is a list of popular myths that you may not know.
Trojan War
I hate to break it to you, but there was no wooden horse that hoarded men into the city of Troy to gain the ultimate advantage. The Trojan War is a work of fiction in Ancient Greece, described in The Iliad and The Odyssey, but not a concrete historical event. There is some speculation of some sort of war occurring in ancient times, but nothing that matches what we have been led to believe. A viral TikTok of someone finding this out lead to a boom in the number of people learning about the falseness of the Trojan War.
4th of July
Independence day. A day that marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence and our freedom from the British. Right? Wrong. The National Constitution Center even says how the actual day the Declaration of Independence was signed, August 2nd, is one of the most monumental forgotten days in American history. What happened on July 4th then? Changes to the draft of the document were approved for printing, so it could be sent out to the public and signed, but that didn’t happen until a month later.
Salem witch trials
A well-known aspect of U.S. history, the burning of witches in the Salem Witch trials. However, as the Washington Post debunks, people were not burned at the stake for the conviction of witchcraft in Salem. That does not mean that they weren’t killed unfortunately, the majority of the supposed witches were hanged. A misconception as many people have heard the phrase “burn the witch!” and thought of the Salem Witch trials.
Coffee stunts growth
A myth mostly said by parents to deter kids from drinking their coffee, but a common belief nonetheless. There is no valid evidence that concludes that drinking coffee will cause growth to be somehow stunted, as Harvard Medical School reports. Though most people don’t start drinking coffee until well after they’ve stopped growing, there can still be fear that there will be some negative effects. While coffee may make you feel jittery, there really isn’t any risk to your height by drinking your daily cup of joe, feel free to continue to enjoy your extra energy boost.
