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Seven Major Hoaxes That Fooled People Around the World
1. A Well-Written History
In 1917, H. L. Mencken published an article titled “A Neglected Anniversary” in the Evening Mail.
Mencken expressed his regret that Americans had missed the 75th anniversary of the modern bathtub’s invention.
The article provided many ostensible facts about the bathtub, such as it being invented in Cincinnati and baths were once outlawed due to doctors’ erroneous beliefs about their possibly hazardous nature.
Mencken had entirely fabricated the bathtub’s history in an attempt to highlight the American public’s naivety.
Unfortunately, his practical lesson was a bit too effective.
Even after admitting he had lied, Mencken’s history of the bathtub continued to persist, being featured in newspapers and multiple references.
Now it seems Menckel’s premonition about the American public was correct after all.
2. Aliens In Our Backyard
The legendary Orson Welles was behind one of the most enduring and widespread hoaxes in the history of the United States.
Welles decided to adapt H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds for radio broadcasting.
He chose the form of a realistic news report as the best way to relay the story via radio compellingly.
The broadcast began on Sunday, October 30, 1938, at 8 p.m.
Though a disclaimer stated the following events were entirely fictional, it appeared only in the beginning and was never repeated afterward.
Most people tuned into the program at around 8:12 p.m.
By then, the disclaimer had been missed.
As a result, most people listening to the radio dramatization thought the events being described were real.
Furthermore, the immensely realistic nature of the adaptation convinced listeners…
