The Long Game

Wrong for Centuries

How long did humanity hold each belief before someone finally disproved it? Ranked by years held, from era of origin to the year it was revised.

A wrong fact does not become wrong the day it is debunked. It was always wrong. The only thing that changes is us. These are the beliefs that ran the longest before we caught up, measured from when the idea took hold to the year it was finally put to rest. The oldest entries predate writing. Showing the top 50 of 557.

1 11,840 years Trepanning (skull drilling) releases evil spirits causing mental illness
2 5,020 years Honey never spoils due to its properties
3 4,950 years Stonehenge Was Built by Druids
4 4,550 years The Egyptian Pyramids Were Built by Slaves
5 4,505 years Egyptian pyramids were built by aliens
6 1,930 years Boudica's Chariots Had Blades on the Wheels
7 1,903 years Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned
8 1,889 years Jesus Was Born on December 25
9 1,881 years Cleopatra Was Egyptian
10 1,490 years Bloodletting cures disease by balancing bodily humors
11 1,487 years The Earth Is the Centre of the Universe
12 1,190 years Vikings Primarily Raided Monasteries for Treasure
13 1,120 years Viking Warriors Wore Horned Helmets
14 945 years King Canute Tried to Command the Tide Because He Was Arrogantly Vain
15 920 years People in the Middle Ages Believed the Earth Was Flat
16 860 years Lady Godiva Rode Naked Through Coventry
17 850 years Lady Godiva Rode Naked Through the Streets on a Horse
18 780 years The Iron Maiden Was a Medieval Torture Device
19 610 years Columbus had to convince people the Earth was round
20 600 years 'Fuck' Is an Acronym (For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, etc.)
21 580 years A Mother's Experiences During Pregnancy Mark the Fetus
22 510 years Columbus Discovered America
23 497 years Richard III Was a Hunchbacked Villain
24 480 years Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever
25 475 years Bad Air Causes Disease
26 455 years Nostradamus made accurate specific predictions about future events
27 445 years Mercury is a safe and effective medical treatment
28 444 years 'Xmas' Is Disrespectful Because It Removes 'Christ' from Christmas
29 410 years The Moon is Made of Cheese
30 395 years 'Decimate' Means Complete Destruction
31 370 years Thanksgiving Was a Friendly Feast Between Pilgrims and Native Americans
32 365 years Continents Are Fixed in Place
33 359 years 'Rule of Thumb' Comes from Beating Wives
34 350 years The Pilgrims Landed at Plymouth Rock
35 348 years The Taj Mahal Was Built Entirely by Indian Workers
36 315 years Continents Are Fixed and Do Not Move
37 314 years The Great Fire of London Killed Thousands
38 310 years Chartreuse Is a Pink or Red Colour
39 300 years Living Things Contain a Vital Force
40 291 years The Mind Starts as a Completely Blank Slate
41 278 years Salem Witches Were Burned at the Stake
42 270 years 'Welsh Rarebit' Is a Corruption of 'Welsh Rabbit'
43 265 years You Can't End a Sentence with a Preposition
44 254 years An Apple Fell on Newton's Head, Inspiring Gravity Theory
45 235 years Light Travels Through the Luminiferous Aether
46 227 years American Colonists Threw Tea Into Boston Harbour
47 225 years A secret Illuminati society controls world governments and events
48 220 years Captain Cook Discovered Australia
49 215 years Life Can Arise Spontaneously from Non-Living Matter
50 215 years Teething directly causes high fevers in babies

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