You should never question historical facts, right? Well, that is not quite the case. While most historical facts are supported by solid evidence, there are instances where historical “facts” are actually not facts at all. They are just stories that have been around long enough to be viewed as such. Continue reading to find out some popular historical facts that are actually wrong.
Napoleon Was Short
We all know that Napoleon was short. He even had a complex of short stature named after him. But that is not true since the famous ruler of France was actually average in height for the era he lived in with his 5’5” stature.
Christopher Columbus Discovered America
You will often hear that it was Christopher Columbus who actually “discovered” America. However, Columbus only visited the Caribbean and never set foot on land in North America.
300 Spartans Faced 10,000 Persians in the Battle of Thermopylae
The battle of Thermopylae is famous for the claim that only 300 Spartan soldiers managed to hold their ground for three days against 10,000 Persians. However, the thing that no one mentions is that those 300 Spartans were also helped by more than 2,000 soldiers from other Greek city-states. It is also estimated that the Persian army was in the range of 120,000 soldiers.
People Believed Earth Was Flat in Medieval Ages
Maybe only a small number of people actually believed Earth was flat in the medieval ages. By then, it was common knowledge that the Earth was round, with the first mention of this being dated back to Greek philosophers in the 5th century BC.