Truth or myth (History)

Richard III’s (r1483–85) body was found in a car park in Leicester

• TRUE

• FALSE

All swans in the UK are the property of the Royal family.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Most lighthouse keepers would go mad from loneliness and isolation.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

Ok isolation might have been a factor but in reality old lighthouses were built with huge baths of mercury under their light structures to lessen friction of the light turning. However now we know that mercury is incredibly toxic and causes brain damage, which is a way more believable reason for someone working with it every single day going “mad”.

Victorians often put metal cages over the caskets of people they considered evil in fear of said people rising back to life as vampires.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

Metal cages were in fact a thing. However the reasoning behind them was mush less demonic. The cages prevented “body snatchers” from stealing corpses in order to sell them to hospitals and universities for medical students to practice on.

In the Victorian times, if you were sick, going to the hospital was much more dangerous than staying home.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

hospitals back than were incredibly dirty places since doctors not only didn’t believe in washing their hands or their surgical instruments but walked around proudly in dirty bloody aprons.

Most medieval people believed the earth was flat

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

popular myth was coined in 1828 by author Washington Irving who wrote a biography of Columbus, depicting him as a “radical thinker” who turned his back on a backwards Old World in favor of the rationalism promised to the New World without historical and factual backing, in favor of popularity and publicity. During some kings’ coronations, a golden sphere was held in the king’s left hand to symbolize the earth (see the above image of King Richard II of England). In a collection of German sermons dated to the thirteenth century, its  peasant audience was told that the earth was “round like an apple.”

Richard I (r1189–99) spent only six months of his decade-long reign on English soil and may not have even spoken English.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

His energies were undoubtedly focused towards international war-mongering rather than affairs within England itself. Writing for History Extra, Andrew Gimson argues that Richard’s “only use for England” was to raise money through taxes in order to wage war abroad.

Former Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip was born in Greece

• TRUE

• FALSE

Kutuzov wore an eye patch.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

The eye patch on one of Kutuzov's eyes is nothing more than a fiction. Perhaps this myth spreaded after Ryazanov’s film “The Hussar Ballad” (Гусарская баллада) was released. In the film Kutuzov appeared with this eye patch, but in real life he had never worn it despite having problems with eyesight.

Colorless coke was produced special for marshal Zhukov

• TRUE

• FALSE

Answer explanation

It was probably to Zhukov’s pity as he adored american coke. But he couldn’t show with the can of Coca-Cola in public, because this behaviour would compromise him, so he asked his american colleagues if it was possible to make the drink colourless. It turned out that at a factory caramel had been taken out of ingredients and then the package with unlabelled bottles of coke had been sent to Zhukov so he could enjoy the drink.