41 Human Bodies Cannot Spontaneously Combust
Spontaneous human combustion is almost certainly a myth, despite reports of bodies burning extensively while nearby objects remained largely untouched. Investigators instead point to an external flame, such as a match, cigarette, or electrical spark, igniting clothing and triggering the “wick effect.” Melting body fat soaks into the fabric, which then burns slowly like a candle wick and fuels a localized fire. The flames can destroy the original ignition source, making the death appear spontaneous even though no evidence shows that human bodies can ignite from within.
42 Green Candy Mocked Aphrodisiac Rumor
The Green M&M character’s seductive personality references a 1970s urban legend claiming that green M&Ms acted as aphrodisiacs. The rumor gained prominence when students reportedly picked green candies from packets and fed them to people they desired. In 1997, M&M/Mars turned the myth into an advertising joke by introducing a flirtatious female Green with mascaraed eyelashes, sensuous lips, and white go-go boots.
43 Kanamara Matsuri Honors Steel Phallus
Japan’s Kanamara Matsuri, or “Festival of the Steel Phallus,” takes place each spring at Kanayama Shrine in Kawasaki. According to legend, a sharp-toothed demon hid inside a young woman’s vagina and castrated two young men on their wedding nights. The woman sought help from a blacksmith, who forged an iron phallus that shattered the demon’s teeth. Since 1969, the annual festival has featured phallus-shaped candy, decorations, and portable shrines while raising money for HIV research.
44 Poinsettia Poisoning Is Mostly Myth
The belief that poinsettias are deadly poisonous is largely an urban legend fueled by false stories and reporting. It began with a 1919 tale claiming that a 2-year-old child died after eating one leaf, while a 1970 US Food and Drug Administration newsletter wrongly warned that a single leaf could kill a child. Researchers later failed to establish a poisonous dose in rats even after administering the equivalent of 500 leaves, or nearly 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of sap. Poinsettias can still cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or skin irritation, but a review of more than 20,000 poison-control calls recorded no deaths.
45 MSG Panic Began With Letter
Scientists and food regulators generally consider monosodium glutamate, or MSG, safe in normal dietary amounts. In 1968, a Chinese American physician named Robert Ho Man Kwok reported numbness, weakness, and heart palpitations after eating at Chinese restaurants. He suggested several possible causes, including cooking wine, high sodium levels, and MSG, but public attention focused on the additive and created a lasting food myth. The US Food and Drug Administration classifies MSG as “generally recognized as safe,” while blinded studies have failed to consistently trigger reactions in people who identify as sensitive to it.
46 Ostriches Never Bury Their Heads
Ostriches do not bury their heads in sand because they think they are invisible to danger. They dig shallow holes for their nests and regularly lower their heads inside to turn the eggs, keeping them evenly heated as the embryos develop. From a distance, their small heads appear buried, which likely helped reinforce a myth that may date back to Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder.
47 English Teeth Defy American Stereotype
In 2015, researchers tested the myth of “bad English teeth” by comparing national dental surveys from England and the United States. Americans averaged 7.31 missing teeth, compared with 6.97 among English participants, and the United States had wider oral-health inequalities based on income and education. However, English adults reported more dental problems affecting daily life, while self-rated oral health showed no significant difference. The researchers concluded that American oral health was not better than English oral health.
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48 Mister Rogers Sniper Myth Explained
The popular internet myth that American children’s television host Fred Rogers served as a sniper appears to have grown from mistaken identity. While researching A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, screenwriters Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue discovered another man named Fred Rogers who had served as a Marine sharpshooter, founded a security business, and briefly used FredRogers.com. Internet users confused the two men and spread stories that the television host concealed military tattoos beneath his famous sweaters. Mister Rogers never served in the military, and the US Navy SEALs publicly rejected the rumor.
49 Televisions Do Not Ruin Eyesight
Sitting close to a television or monitor does not permanently damage the eyes, although prolonged viewing can cause temporary strain and fatigue. The warning persisted partly because some General Electric color televisions sold during the 1960s emitted radiation up to 100,000 times above the level federal health officials considered safe. General Electric recalled and repaired those sets, and televisions made after 1968 no longer had that emissions problem. Children who repeatedly sit close may already have undiagnosed nearsightedness, meaning the behavior can reveal poor vision rather than cause it.
50 Goldfish Memory Lasts Six Months
The myth that goldfish remember events for only three seconds is false. In 2015, a ninth-grade student named Katie trained goldfish to navigate a maze and find food before testing them again after gaps of up to six months. After six months away, the fish found the food in an average of 12.82 seconds, compared with 410.05 seconds on their first training day. The results indicated that goldfish can retain spatial memories for at least six months.
RE: Fact #9 (Ellis Island Never Changed Names) – Many people chose to change their names. Even well into the 20th century, famous people would often switch to stage names to fit in better. Plenty of Jewish performers did this, like Stanley Lieber becoming Stan Lee, or Chaim Witz changing to Gene Simmons.