7 myths
the Titanic was called “practically unsinkable” in print before it sailed, but nobody ever advertised it as flatly unsinkable. The qualifier was there from the start, and it’s the part that got lost.
Franklin really did praise the turkey over the eagle — but in a private letter to his daughter, two years after the eagle was already chosen, and he never proposed replacing it.
The pyramids were built by paid Egyptian workers who were well fed, housed in a purpose-built village, and buried in honor beside the monuments they raised.
Napoleon was about 5'6" to 5'7", average or slightly above for his time — the myth comes from a French measurement misread as English and from British wartime cartoons.
Vikings never wore horned helmets. The image comes from a 19th-century opera costume, not real Viking history.
Einstein excelled at math. The myth likely comes from a failed entrance exam (due to other subjects) and confusion over old grading scales.
The Declaration of Independence was signed on August 2, 1776
