Some historical “facts” and stories we take for granted are either false or at the least exaggerated. Some have been passed down through generations and some have even made their way into history books.

For example, you may have heard the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem: “Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…”. That poem was written in 1860, long after the famous ride which occurred in 1775. Well, that poem gives an inaccurate (or at best incomplete) representation of the actual events. Take a look at the myths below and click on the corresponding link to get the actual facts.

Myth: George Washington was the first President of the United States.

Fact: While George Washington was our first president elected under the current constitution, he was not the first president of the United States. Click here for the rest of the story.

Myth: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone

Fact: Although Alexander Graham Bell earned the title of the inventor of the telephone, he was not the first to demonstrate a similar device. Click here for the rest of the story

Myth: Daniel Boone wore a coonskin cap

Fact: In reality, Daniel Boone wore a beaver cap. Click here for the rest of the story

Myth: Betsy Ross designed the first American flag

Fact: It wasn’t until 1870, long after the current design started being used that the story of Betsy Ross began to circulate. Click here for the rest of the story

Myth: Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin

Fact: Much like Alexander Graham Bell’s title as the inventor of the telephone, Eli Whitney was the first to achieve a patent in 1794 for the cotton gin but to story of the cotton gin started more than 50 years before that. Click here for the rest of the story

Myth: Christopher Columbus discovered the earth was round

Fact: Aristotle proved the earth was round by noticing the shadow cast on the moon by the earth. Click here for the rest of the story

Myth: Abraham Lincoln’s childhood log cabin is on display in Hodgenville, Kentucky

Fact: There is a log cabin on display in Hodgenville, Kentucky which is officially registered as the “Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Historical Site” but it is not the original Lincoln home. Click here for the rest of the story.

Myth: Paul Revere rode through the streets from Boston to Lexington shouting “The British are coming”.

Fact: It’s very unlikely that Paul Revere ever shouted ever uttered the words “The British are coming”. Click here for the rest of the story

Myth: The Pilgrims lived in log cabins

Fact:

Myth: Abraham once said about Ulysses S. Grant’s drinking: “If I knew what brand he used, I would send every General a barrel.”

Fact:

Myth: Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean.

Fact:

Myth: Paul Revere began printing and selling a depiction of the Boston Massacre in 1770.

Fact:

Myth: George Washington Fathered several children by his slaves.

Fact:

Myth: When Confederate President Jefferson Davis was arrested after the Civil War, he was wearing his wife’s clothing as a disguise in hopes of avoiding capture.

Fact:

Myth: The reason Germany got off to such a fast start in World War II was because of its pre-war preparations.

Fact: