50 Fascinating Myths & Legends from Around the World

A room known as ‘Room 641A’ in the AT&T telecommunications backbone houses beamsplitters capable of monitoring all the internet traffic in the US. It was largely thought to be a myth until PRISM (NSA surveillance program) revealed its existence in 2007.

2. There was a popular myth in many middle-eastern countries that Neil Armstrong had converted to Islam upon hearing the call to prayer on the moon, going as far to require U.S. State Department to issue a denial.

3. Prior to 1999, the mythical American Express Black Card was just a myth. The myth became so pervasive that AmEx decided to capitalize on it and actually make a black, ultra-exclusive credit card.

4. According to the Hawaiian creation myth, our universe comes from the wreckage of another earlier universe and that the only creatures that survived from that alien universe are octopuses.

5. The 'hysteria' created by Orson Welles' 'War Of The Worlds' was a myth created by newspapers to instill fear over the power of broadcast radio.

The myth that carrots improve night vision was started on purpose by the Brits during World War 2 to explain for why German planes kept getting shot down at night by British pilots. Ministry of Information informed newspapers that British pilots were eating a lot of carrots which improved their vision. In reality, radar had just been invented.

7. Lennon/McCartney had a temporary reunion in 1974 during Lennon's "Lost Weekend"/separation from Yoko Ono. The reunion was long considered a myth, until a recording surfaced with them, Stevie Wonder and Henry Nilsson.

8. The holiday suicide myth supports misinformation about suicide that might ultimately hamper prevention efforts. The idea that suicide rates increase during the holiday season is a myth perpetuated by the media. In fact, suicide rates are the lowest in December.

9. It has been theorized that the myth of the Cyclops came about when Greeks discovered dwarf elephant skulls and misinterpreted the trunk cavity as a single eye socket.

10. Sitting close to the TV will not damage your eyesight. The myth spread after it was discovered that televisions made prior to 1967 emitted excessive radiation.

Virtually all Middle Ages scholars believed that the Earth is spherical. The myth that people in the Middle Ages thought the earth is flat appears to date from the 17th century as part of the campaign by Protestants against Catholic teaching.

12. NASA Mission Control acknowledged a thousand-year-old Chinese myth when it asked the Apollo 11 crew to keep an eye out for a beautiful Chinese girl named Chang-O who lived on the moon and a large rabbit standing in the shade of a cinnamon tree.

13. Currently, there exists a myth in Pakistan that says HIV can be cured by having sex with a virgin, which is contributing to women and girls being raped.

14. In Japan, people fear a mythical creature named the Ashiaraiyashiki. It is a giant, unwashed foot that appears before you and demands to be washed. It is said that if you don't wash it, it will rampage through your house until satisfied.

15. The myth of superabundance is a belief that no matter how much natural resources the humanity uses, the planet will continuously replenish the supply.

It is a myth that Albert Einstein failed mathematics as a student. According to him, “Before I was fifteen, I had mastered differential and integral calculus.”

17. The idea of "slow metabolism" causing obesity is a myth. It is "innate laziness" or lower levels of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) that causes weight gain.

18. The Disney company created the myth of Lemming suicide, in the documentary "White Wilderness". In reality, they were pushing them off the cliffs for the footage.

19. There is a Jewish myth about a giant lion named Tigris. The lion is said to be so big that its ears are spaced 21 feet (9 cubits) apart. According to legend, when Tigris roared for the first time, women within 2,200 kilometers miscarried and a city was destroyed. When Tigris roared a second time, the front teeth and molars of Roman men fell out, and even the emperor himself fell from his throne.

20. Despite the popular myth, urine isn't actually sterile.

The "Sugar Rush" is a myth, and the hyperactivity you feel after ingesting sugar is just a placebo.

22. The myth that pyramids were built by slaves was created by Greek historian and explorer Herodotus who visited Egypt 2000 years after the pyramids were built. In reality, the builders of pyramids were actually volunteers and were buried in the tomb if they died while building it.

23. In the greeks myths, there was the Unknown God, a placeholder for those Gods yet unknown to the ancient Greeks.

24. When the original Mortal Kombat game came out, an audit menu listed Error Macros under the name ‘ERMAC’, leading fans to think there was a third hidden ninja in the game. This myth resulted in the creation of the character with the same name in future games.

25. The Chevy Nova actually sold well in Latin countries and poor sales stories due to the "No Va"/"No Go" translation is just an urban myth.