It is said that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. Meanwhile, any historian will tell you that the past, often, is something that you did not want to relive it. Yet history, as we know it today abounds with myths and false personalities who have almost nothing in common with records or deeds attributed to them. Here are some of the major concepts that should be radically amended and that influenced people, wrongly, centuries or even millennia.
10. Eve had eaten the apple of sin
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, says a universal dictum. Yet, apples boasts one of the worst reputations when it comes to the myth of genesis and the first people fall into sin. Thousands of paintings, sculptures, works written or sung, it shows Eve eating of an apple and tempting Adam to taste the forbidden fruit of the same deity. Well, nowhere is mentioned in the holy
In fact, in Genesis, Eve is tempted by the "fruit of knowledge" found in the tree that grows in the middle of the garden of Eden. Nobody knows exactly who hypothesized the presence of an apple, as long as he could be anything: a pear, a pineapple, a mango or other fruit known to men. Moreover, there is the view that "the fruit of knowledge" or an apple if you prefer, is but a metaphor of "original sin" that would have landed the first humans.
9. Isaac Newton was hit by apple
We return again to the same apple, fruit which seems to dominate a good part of our history. Legend of the illustrious British physicist, Isaac Newton was hit by an apple while meditating in your own garden - reason to issue later theory of universal gravitation - it is one notorious.
But even that failed enlightened fruit in the scientist's head?
Most historians agree that this story is just a legend.
In reality, the story of Newton's apple appeared in an essay published opment, long after the world as the physicist had passed. Before that, Catherine Conduitt, granddaughter of Isaac Newton, was the only one who mentioned the story though, most likely, it was just a contrivance designed to attract good advertising on the survivors of the scientist.
8. Napoleon was a man of short stature
He remained in history as "
Le petit corporal" - Little Corporal - reason enough for some to compare him with another "little corporal" of the twentieth century. One whose intentions to conquer the world have been broken and disastrous as all the gates of Moscow. Both were actually the same character, Antichrist, but this is a hypothesis (fantasy) that not going to treat it in this article.
What interests us is how "small" was entitled Napoleon and how is the image acquired in history.
He said, over time, especially by the French king's enemies, as his ambitions to dominate Europe were the result of its low height, a complex that Napoleon tried to compensate by military victories.
In fact, Napoleon had a height of 174 centimeters, far above the average men of the eighteenth century. Nickname "little corporal" came as a result of a habit of the French army, through which mocked their superiors in rank subordinates. This remained true even after Napoleon became emperor.
7. James Cook discovered Australia
If we had wanted to be demanding "to blood," we have said that Australia was discovered by Aboriginal ancestors somewhere about 40,000 years ago. About 40 millennia before
James Cook to see the light of day. But we leave aside this theory (ironic) and turn our attention to the "rediscovery" of Australia, this time by European seafarers.
History tells us that James Cook first set foot on the current beach in Sydney, in 1770. What made but English navigator and geographer was to identify the east coast of the continent to the antipodes and perform its proper mapping . In fact, Australia has been reached for the first time the Dutch Dirk Hartog and Abel Tasman, followed by Englishman William Dampier, the same captain who abandoned him on Alexander Selkirk (aka Robinson Crusoe) on a deserted island in the Pacific. The myth of James Cook discovered Australia have added yet a concept that was grounded, erroneously, in people's consciousness. Any student learn today that the little continent was "uncovered" by "Captain" Cook. A serious mistake if we think that, in 1770, the Englishman was not more than a lieutenant in the British Army.
6. Shakespeare wrote "Hamlet"
It is known as the greatest writer and playwright who ever lived, and this despite the fact that nobody knows who he really was. Shakespeare is certainly a pseudonym, and the man behind or remained even today, covered in mystery. What is known, however, less is that his works are immortal, in reality, takeovers and adaptations of old stories.
Take, for example, the tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, written in 1603 - perhaps the most famous work of the illustrious playwright. Although the credit belongs entirely Shakespeare's Hamlet's story has its origins in an ancient Scandinavian myth of ... you guessed it, Denmark. The original has not been preserved, but we can say that the English version is entitled, however, the most successful.
5. America became independent on July 4, 1776
In any school in the world, the history lesson, the teachers will say that the independence of the United States was obtained 4 July 1776. In fact, July 4 is even US national day. Without mistakes we can say, however, that scientists rushed this date, and history textbooks should be amended.
After seven years of war between American States and Britain, King George III and US officials declared a cessation of hostilities on 3 September 1783. Basically, that day came into force the Act of Independence signed on July 4, 1776.
4. Edison invented the light bulb
Although it is one of the most prolific inventors in history (1,093 inventions),
Thomas Edison is not the father in law of many of them. The reality is that some belong technicians who worked with him, while others have not even seen the light in his lab. Take, for example, the light bulb, the most famous invention of Edison. It was invented four decades before Thomas Edison was born. The author? English scientist, Sir Davy Hamphry. And yet, how he came to be recognized as a parent Edison's light bulb?
3. George Washington was America's first president
Everyone knows that Washington was the first President of the United States (of the 43 presidents in history). The reality is, however, different. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress (or the US Congress) he chose Peyton Randolph as the first president. Randolph's first political move was to create an army to oppose England, and topped it even called him George Washington.
In 1781, Randolph was succeeded by John Hancock. After Washington's victory at the Battle of Yorktown, Hancock sent him a congratulatory American general, he answering them through another missive that is with the nickname "president of the United States." Eight years after the war, and after another two presidents, Washington,
The benefits of the huge political capital gained through victory against England, he became the first democratically elected president. Strictly speaking, however, George Washington was only the fifth US president.
2.Ferdinand Magellan made the first trip around the world
Without going into details, almost everyone knows two things about Portuguese navigator large and wide,
Ferdinand Magellan. The first is that made the first trip around the world (between 1519 and 1522). The second is that he was killed on 22 April 1521 by natives in the Philippines. It seems, however, that no one barely visible contradiction of terms between the two statements
1. Jesus was born on December 25
Christmas is the biggest celebration of Christianity, at which all celebrate the birth of Christ. There is, however, no mention biblical or otherwise indicating 25 December as the one in which Jesus was born. Currently, there are several hypotheses about the origins of Christmas, but perhaps the most important is related to the cult of the god Mithras Hellenistic, cult emerged around 100 BC
Its believers were convinced that Mithra was born on December 25 of a virgin mother, and that this event has happened in a manger. A striking resemblance more than the Christian celebration of Christmas. Many voices say that the early
Christians tried to make people forget the powerful cult of Mithras, and so they replaced it with the celebration of Christmas. In fact, many other pagan holidays were changed, and in their place were adapted to Christian holidays.
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