Myths and misconceptions
History isn’t always right: 10 popular historical inaccuracies!
Published on April 16, 2025
Image: Mr Cup / Fabien Barral
Let’s face it: history is not an exact science. There’s a reason people regularly say that "history is written by the victors": there are more than a few inaccuracies bound to be included in history books around the world. What’s interesting, though, is that sometimes these mistaken pieces of history gain so much popularity that they become indisputable facts. We all know that Napoleon was short (except he wasn’t) or that Roman gladiator fights were bloody matches to the death (except they weren’t). With that in mind, we’ve selected 10 of the most famous historical inaccuracies, hoping to shed some light on these popular myths. Enjoy!
Napoleon’s height
Image: Chen Te
We’ll begin with one of the most popular historical myths out there. If you had to describe Napoleon Bonaparte, what are the first three things that come to mind? Perhaps his iconic bicorne hat, or his white war horse, Marengo, forever immortalized in Napoleon’s portrait crossing the Alps. That said, you probably thought of another aspect of this French emperor that we all know too well: his height. Napoleon’s short stature is heavily ingrained in pop culture, with countless shows and movies referencing his height as an explanation for his bad temper. However, standing at 5 feet 6 inches, Napoleon was by no means short. Most historians believe this stereotype stemmed from British cartoons depicting him as a short man dressed in an oversized military uniform.
Viking helmets
Image: hao qin
Some historical figures are so ingrained in pop culture that we tend to imagine them in a very distinct way. For example, all pirates have an eyepatch and a parrot perched on their shoulders. In a similar vein, most Vikings depicted in cartoons and TV shows sport majestic beards and horned helmets. However, you might be surprised to learn that horned helmets became associated with Vikings during the 1800s after Richard Wagner included them in his Norse operas. In fact, most historians agree that, while Vikings did regularly use helmets, they weren’t horned.
Einstein’s school years
Image: Maks Key
It must be nice for your last name to become synonymous with intelligence—Albert Einstein is truly a testament to this. Whether sarcastic or not, whenever someone is called "an Einstein," they are referring to their intelligence. In this sense, there’s a popular myth that states that, despite his genius, Albert Einstein did terribly at school and was not, by any means, the exceptional student you would expect. However, this is completely false. Einstein was a remarkable pupil, as his Swiss public records prove.
Gladiator fights
Image: Chait Goli
Let’s picture a hypothetical gladiator fight: two sturdy and brave warriors in a fight to the death, with a stoic and unmoving Caesar deciding with a thumb gesture which gladiator will live to fight another day. This image has been endlessly portrayed in movies and TV shows since the invention of the medium, but you might be surprised to learn that actual gladiator fights were a bit different. For starters, considering how expensive gladiators were to train and feed, it stands to reason that most gladiatorial fights didn’t end in death. In fact, most matches finished when first blood was drawn.
Ich bin ein Berliner
Image: Leon Ephraïm
If you were lucky enough to visit Berlin, you might be familiar with one of the metropolis’ most famous sweet treats: the Berliner, a type of pastry that resembles a jam doughnut. Also known as Krapfen, there’s a popular myth surrounding this pastry that involves President Kennedy. In 1963, our 35th president visited West Berlin and proudly uttered the phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner" at the end of his speech. According to many, the use of the adjective ein changed Kennedy’s intended meaning of "I am from Berlin" to "I am a doughnut," much to the audience’s delight. However, this is not true: the president’s use of the phrase was correct, and the gathered crowd understood it as such.
Thomas Edison and the lightbulb
Image: Kai Gradert
Thomas Edison’s contributions to the world are numerous and outstanding, so don’t take this entry as an attempt to discredit his genius. Among his many groundbreaking inventions are the phonograph and the motion-picture camera, but we do have to strike one from the record: despite popular belief, Edison did not, in fact, invent the lightbulb, since the first electric light was created by English scientist Humphry Davy in 1800. However, Edison did reinvent these unreliable and expensive lights into the first commercially viable light bulb, which helped extend the wonders of electricity around the world.
George Washington’s teeth
Image: Ben Noble
It stands to reason that George Washington, arguably the most important figure in American history, would be the subject of a number of popular myths and stories. We’ll focus on just one in this article for brevity's sake, but it is one of the most famous: a common story states that "The Father of our Country" used a set of wooden dentures throughout his life. Although this is false (Washington’s false teeth were mostly composed of metals and animal teeth), interestingly, these wooden dentures were widely accepted by historians until the 20th century.
Newton’s apple
Image: Louis Hansel
Arguably, the apple that fell on Isaac Newton’s head that fateful day might be the most important piece of fruit in human history. After all, this apple was the final inspiration that this iconic physicist needed to develop his law of universal gravitation. However, not to diminish the impact of this exemplary fruit, there’s a bit of misinformation that needs to be clarified: while Newton was indeed inspired after watching an apple fall from a tree, it most certainly didn’t fall atop his head.
Croissants’ origins
Image: Brigitte Tohm
When it comes to bakeries, the good people of France are second to none. From their lovely baguettes to their heavenly pain au chocolat, you know you’ll have a tasty treat whenever you take a bite of a French pastry. In that sense, it might come as a surprise to learn that the croissant, one of France’s most impressive pastries, was actually invented in Austria. Known as a kipferl or kifli, this pastry is involved in a myth of its own: Some historians believe that its peculiar shape was created to celebrate an Austrian victory over the Ottoman Turks.
A cow and the Chicago fire
Image: Ryan Song
We’ll end this article by clearing the name of one of mankind’s most beloved animal friends. There’s no denying that cows do a lot for us, from the milk we drink to the beef we eat. In that sense, let’s repay their service by clearing up a common misconception regarding the fateful Chicago fire of 1871: No, this disaster wasn’t started by a cow. According to a popular tale, the fire was ignited by a cow being milked by her owner, Ms. O’Leary. For some reason, the clumsy cow kicked over a lantern, which supposedly grew into the biggest disaster that the city of Chicago had seen up to that day. However, there’s simply no evidence to support that this was the cause of the tragedy, and the cow (and her owner) were officially exonerated by the city in 1997.
