Historical Facts That Are Actually "Wrong"

We always believed what we were taught about history. But what if the history you learned is wrong? Here are some such historical facts which are actually not right.

1

Columbus and America

While Columbus' voyage was significant, there were already Indigenous people living in the Americas for thousands of years before his arrival. And it was Viking explorer  Leif Erikson who landed in America 400 years before Columbus.

2

Franklin and Electricity

While Benjamin Franklin did fly a kite during a storm, it wasn't to "discover" electricity, but to study its properties.

3

Marie Antoinette's Cake  Misquote

The famous "let them eat cake" quote is likely a fabrication spread by revolutionaries to mock the queen's supposed indifference to the plight of the poor.

4

Napoleon Wasn't Short

Average height for his time, Napoleon's image was often depicted as shorter for propaganda purposes by British artists.

5

Cleopatra's Greek Ancestry

Though she ruled Egypt, Cleopatra was actually of Macedonian Greek descent, not Egyptian.

6

Edison and the Lightbulb

Thomas Edison didn't invent the first lightbulb, but he did improve upon existing designs and make them commercially viable.