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In reality, Napoleon Bonaparte was of average height for his time. He was listed as 5 feet 2 inches in French feet, which is roughly 5 feet 7 inches in modern international units.

Vikings did not actually wear horned helmets; the image is a creation of 19th-century Romanticism.

The spherical shape of the Earth was known long before Columbus's time, dating back to the ancient Greeks.

There is no evidence Marie Antoinette ever said this; it is likely propaganda to paint her as indifferent to the poor.

The Great Wall is not visible from space with the naked eye under normal conditions.

Those accused of witchcraft in Salem were hanged or pressed to death, not burned at the stake.

Einstein was actually proficient in math; this myth seems to have been propagated to make his genius seem more relatable.

The Emancipation Proclamation only declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate states during the Civil War. Slavery was formally abolished with the 13th Amendment.

Franklin never proposed the turkey as a symbol but did contrast it favorably against the Bald Eagle in a private letter, not a national suggestion.

Educated Europeans in Columbus's time already knew that the Earth was round, but there was debate about the size of the Earth and the viability of sailing west to reach Asia.

The Iron Maiden is likely a mythic or exaggerated device, with its existence and use during the medieval period being unsupported by concrete historical evidence.

The term Caesarean section is derived from Caesar's family name, but there is no historical evidence he was born that way, and it's unlikely since his mother survived his birth.

The Forbidden City's name derives from the fact that entry was restricted, but not because it was off-limits to the public—it was restricted to the imperial family and their servants.

The Spanish Inquisition targeted those who had converted to Christianity but were suspected of secretly practicing their former faith, not the unconverted.

The story of Lady Godiva riding naked is a later mythological addition; historical records only note her as a generous benefactor to religious houses.

The Magna Carta primarily granted rights to the barons and church elites, not the general population, aiming to limit the king's power.

The builders of the Pyramids were likely skilled workers, and evidence exists of their towns and the supplies they were given, refuting the idea they were slaves.

While some towns had periods of lawlessness, many Western towns quickly established legal systems, and overall levels of violence were not exceptionally higher than other areas.

The myth that carrots improve night vision originated from British propaganda during World War II to explain why their pilots had improved night operations, concealing advances in radar technology.