These 12 incredible hoaxes tricked even the smartest minds

Image: Rishabh Dharmani

Hoaxes have woven their way through human history, fooling even the sharpest minds and taking on countless forms. Some began as harmless pranks, others as deliberate schemes for fame or fortune, and a few were born from sheer misunderstandings. Regardless of their origins, some of these deceptions were so impactful that they etched their place in history. Join us as we unravel the truth behind 12 of the most legendary hoaxes ever pulled off.

Image: Simon Infanger

In 1912, an Englishman named Charles Dawson claimed to have discovered the remains of a "missing link" between apes and humans in Piltdown, England. At the time, the discovery was hailed as the most significant find in the history of human evolution. It wasn’t until the 1950s that it was revealed as a hoax, with Dawson using modern human and orangutan bones to create the fake skeleton.

Image: Katherine Cavanaugh

In 1917, two young cousins, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, captured photographs they claimed showed real fairies in the woods near Cottingley, England. The photos gained worldwide attention, and their authenticity was even endorsed by notable figures like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Decades later, in the early 1980s, the cousins admitted the images were faked, using cardboard cutouts to create the illusion of fairies. Don’t laugh—this was long before the era of Photoshop and AI.

Image: Benjamin Ranger

In 1869, a 10-foot stone figure was unearthed in Cardiff, New York, and hailed as the petrified remains of a giant. The "discovery" caused an immediate sensation, drawing massive crowds and widespread media coverage. However, the so-called "giant" was a deliberate hoax crafted by George Hull. Hull, a staunch skeptic, created the figure to settle a score after a heated argument with a Methodist reverend about the biblical existence of giants. Frustrated by people’s gullibility, Hull aimed to expose just how easily he could deceive the masses with his fabricated giant.

Image: blair yang

Although it's part of a largely fictional account of the Trojan War, the Trojan Horse is undeniably the mother of all hoaxes in history and legend. According to the story, near the war’s end, the Greeks staged a retreat, leaving behind a massive wooden horse as a supposed peace offering at Troy’s gates. Unbeknownst to the Trojans, the horse concealed Greek warriors who waited until nightfall to emerge, open the gates, and allow their army to overrun the city. Today, this story endures as a timeless parable of the use of cunning and deception in warfare.

Image: eberhard grossgasteiger

In 1835, The Sun, a New York newspaper, published a series of sensational articles claiming that astronomers had discovered life on the Moon. The stories—later attributed to reporter Richard Adams Locke, though others were suspected to be involved—described fantastical creatures and a lush lunar landscape supposedly observed through a gigantic telescope. Conveniently, the telescope was said to have burned down shortly after the breakthrough. The incredible claims caused a frenzy but were soon exposed as a hoax, designed to boost the paper’s sales.

Image: Joan

Since the 1930s, reports of a mysterious creature lurking in Scotland’s Loch Ness have fascinated the public. Photographs, including the famous "surgeon's photo" from 1934, were once touted as proof of the creature’s existence but have since been debunked as hoaxes, with many revealed to be manipulated or staged. Despite its dubious origins, the legend of "Nessie" has long transcended fraud to become a true cultural mythology. Like many great legends, it thrives on a blend of mystery, hope, and the enduring allure of the unknown.

Image: Immo Wegmann

On April Fools' Day in 1957, the BBC aired a segment showing Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees. Presented as a serious report, the broadcast fooled many viewers—likely due to a post-war lack of familiarity with spaghetti in Britain. Curious callers flooded the BBC to verify the story, and the network cheekily advised them to "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best." Arguably the silliest hoax on this list by far, it goes to show just how gullible people can be!

Image: Muhammed ÖÇAL

In 1938, Orson Welles’ radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds caused widespread panic among listeners who believed a Martian invasion was actually taking place. This was due to the storytelling style, which presented the story as a series of news reports, blurring the line between fiction and reality. While the reactions were unintended, it became one of the most famous hoaxes in history. The infamous broadcast even became a case study of the power of mass media to manipulate the public.

Image: Patrick Tomasso

In 1996, physicist Alan Sokal submitted a deliberately nonsensical paper to the prestigious academic journal Social Text. The paper, filled with convoluted jargon and academic buzzwords, made no logical sense and presented no meaningful ideas. Sokal's goal was to expose the lack of intellectual rigor in certain academic circles. To his surprise, the article was published. Afterward, Sokal revealed the hoax, sparking a widespread debate about intellectual rigor and some journals’ willingness to publish questionable content.

Image: Max Letek

Not exactly a hoax, but a lesson on how quickly the media can jump to sensational conclusions, even when the science is still in progress. In 1984, scientists discovered a meteorite in Antarctica that appeared to have originated from Mars. Some of its unique features, including structures resembling microscopic fossils, led certain scientists to speculate that it could be evidence of ancient Martian life. The discovery made headlines, with former U.S. President Bill Clinton even hailing it as humanity’s first proof of extraterrestrial life. However, after further study, it was concluded that the unusual features were not markers of life after all.

Image: Peter Thomas

In the 1950s, adventurers in the Himalayas reported finding large footprints they believed belonged to the mythical Yeti. While some of these claims may have been the result of misidentified Himalayan wildlife, further investigation revealed that many of the footprints and other supposed evidence were likely hoaxes, with human prints altered or created using tools. Sadly, this means there are no abominable snowmen lurking in the mountains after all.

Image: Simon Berger

In the early 20th century, the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter was followed by rumors of a terrible curse. Several members of the expedition died under allegedly mysterious circumstances, leading to sensationalized stories of a curse placed on those who disturbed the tomb. While the deaths were natural, the stories surrounding the "curse" captivated the world, spreading rapidly through media and fiction.

Word drift

These everyday words had much darker origins

Words you once heard in a certain context may no longer mean the same thing today. Many terms we use comfortably in casual conversation were once considered shocking profanities or deeply offensive, and the journey from taboo to tame is often more surprising than you'd expect. We've all muttered "darn it" after spilling coffee on a clean shirt, or exclaimed "oh my gosh!" when a friend shared an unexpected piece of news, without giving it a second thought. Find out what really happened to these 10 words that used to be understood very differently.

It slips out easily in moments of surprise, like if someone told you you won the lottery, or mild frustration, like when the neighbor’s kid is making a racket when you’re trying to take a nap. But back in the 18th century, it was once considered a sneaky form of blasphemy.

"Gosh" emerged as a way to avoid saying "God," which many considered taking the Lord's name in vain. Ironically, the very attempt to be polite was itself seen as deceitful and irreverent.

We say it when we stub a toe or realize we forgot something at the grocery store. But "darn," a minced oath for "damn," was once viewed with suspicion precisely because of its apparent innocence, considered a sly, morally dishonest attempt to skirt around profanity while still invoking its spirit. Clergymen and etiquette guides alike warned against it as far back as the 19th century.

The edge wore off as the word passed from generation to generation, until all that remained was something almost endearing.

You might say it when you realize you've locked your keys in the car or knocked your phone off the counter. Hard to believe, then, that as recently as the early 20th century, this word was once a coarse and genuinely taboo scatological term.

Over time, as informal speech became more accepted in public life, it gradually shed its shock value, until it landed where it is today: mild enough to appear in mainstream advertising.

Today, "brass" mostly calls to mind a shiny metal or a jazz band. But, in 16th and 17th-century England, it was used as slang for a person's backside or private parts.

As the slang faded from common use, the word returned to its more literal, respectable meanings.

It sounds almost charming today; something a grandparent might say when they can't find their glasses. In the 17th and 18th centuries, however, it was used deliberately to replace much stronger expletives, carrying a weight that the whimsical word no longer suggests.

You hear it in movies, in song lyrics, in everyday frustration. But for much of Western history, well into the 19th century, "damn" was grave religious profanity, implying a wish for someone's eternal punishment.

Its sting faded as religious language lost its grip on everyday speech throughout the 20th century.

Today, the word sounds almost theatrical, something out of a period drama. From the Middle Ages through the 19th century, it was a sharp and damaging insult used against women considered to be of loose morals.

Over time, as the social and moral frameworks that gave the word its power shifted, it retreated into archaism.

You might come across it in a Victorian novel and barely notice it. At the time, throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, it was a loaded minced oath for "God," and using it in polite society was considered outright blasphemy.

As religious strictures relaxed in the 20th century, the word lost its charge entirely.

These days, it's just a small, mouse-like mammal. But from the Middle Ages all the way through the 19th century, "shrew" was a vicious, misogynistic insult hurled at women considered argumentative or difficult.

Increased awareness of gendered language throughout the 20th century helped strip the word of its insulting edge, though Shakespeare's use of it still raises eyebrows.

We use it to express emphasis, disbelief, or frustration without a second thought. Once, however, – particularly through the 18th and 19th centuries – "hell" was reserved almost exclusively for warnings of divine judgment, and invoking it casually was seen as deeply irreverent.

As religious language became less central to everyday life in the 20th century, the word's fearful charge slowly dissolved.