30 Apr 2021
Historical Events  People
George Michael

Alternate:
George Michael died in 2010

Current:
George Michael died in 2016

Natural causes

George Michael was a world famous star who's life was cruelly cut short when he was far too young.

Many remember him dying in 2010, and were surprised to hear he was actually amongst the tragic group of celebrities who passed away in 2016. He died on Christmas Day of natural causes, a general term for what was alleged to be a heart attack brought on by years of substance abuse causing the heart muscle becomes thin and too weak to pump blood effectively around the body.

There are also rumours he committed suicide, which are fuelled by his earlier unsuccessful attempts.

Historical Events  People
JFK

Alternate:
JFK was not addicted to crystal meth

Current:
JFK was addicted to crystal meth

Bags of energy

Many people hold up John Kennedy as the model president. He fought corruption, sent men to the moon and espoused the American dream for all.

Yet it's being reported that all may not be as it appeared at the time.

The New York Post, The Sun, The Daily Mail and many others are revealing he was addicted to crystal meth, which comes as quite a shock to many who still refuse to belive this even to this day.

However, there are many instances of this being suppressed at the time, for example when he was found naked and delusional wandering round the Carlyle Hotel in New York, 1962.

Historical Events  TV
Pride and Prejudice

Alternate:
Mr Darcy got out of the lake dripping wet in a white shirt

Current:
Mr Darcy did not get out of the lake dripping wet in a white shirt

Dripping wet

Many people remember a famous scene featuring Mr Darcy in the 1995 BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. 

He was alone, and spent a moment reflecting before taking a dip in the lake. That part is seen today, but what isn't is when he left the lake, which many remember him being very wet as he walked towards the camera in slow motion. 

Colin Firth became an overnight success after his portrayal, which shows him entering the lake wearing a full length white shirt, which completely covered his chest and arms, but not leaving it.

It's become something of a movie trope to show this kind of shot, and can be seen in many others such as the James Bond series, but this time it's a false memory.

Historical Events  Music
Lamb chops

Alternate:
Lamb Chops sang "This is the song that never ends."

Current:
Lamb Chops sang "This is the song that doesn't end."

It's only funny up to a point...

How many times have kids piped up on long (or otherwise) car journeys with the famous Lamb Chops song that just, well, goes on and on for ever?

Whilst it may be amusing for a a while, it quite rightly becomes very annoying very quickly. Which is understandable, given that's literally the whole purpose of the damn thing. However, there's something else going on here. Is it "The song that never ends" or "The song that doesn't end"?

Most people remember it as the "never" version, but all references today show it as the "doesn't" one.

How annoying is that?

Historical Events  Science
Ostrich head in sand

Alternate:
Ostriches bury their heads in the sand

Current:
Ostriches don't bury their heads in the sand

Nothing to see here

Are ostriches getting a bad rap?

The general consensus is that when they get scared, they react by sticking their heads in the sand. This idea is very widespread, particularly in cartoons which people see when they are children, and hence get this image reinforced many times whilst they are young.

A moments thought would show this is unlikely, if for no other reason than it would prove an evolutionary disadvantage since predators would quickly latch onto this behaviour and wipe out the entire species.

Sometimes from a distance it might appear an ostrich has it's head in the sand, but it is only reaching down to feed.

Ostriches are not only fast runners, but can actually hold their own in a fight, so the idea they can't handle themselves when stressed is a little wide of the mark.

Historical Events  Geography
Long Island

Alternate:
Long Island is an island

Current:
Long Island is not an island

Long Island

The earliest records of Long Island date to 1643 where several native American tribes had settled there for some time, farming the land and fishing to sustain themselves. Each tribe lived peacefully in their own area and had good writing skills, which provides historians with written documentation of their life in these times.

With the arrival of the Europeans, everything changed. Henry Hudson landed at Coney Island in 1609, and Adriaen Brock in 1615 is generally recognised as the first person to declare Long Island was in fact an Island. 

This changed in 1985, when in the US Supreme Court it was legally declared to be part of New York State mainland, i.e. not an island, because it is not completely surrounded by water.

The misconception it was an island is perpetuated by the various maps and nomenclature from before and since this date which still calls it one, even though legally it is not.

Historical Events  People
James Randi

Alternate:
James Randi died in the early 2000's

Current:
James Randi died in 2020

When did James Randi die?

James Randi was perhaps the world's best known paranormal sceptic.

He was famous for his stage shows, TED talks, talk show appearances and perhaps most of all his $1m prize fund which he openly awarded to anyone who could prove a paranormal phenomenon. It was never claimed.

He started out as a regular magician, and was still doing the odd trick right up until his death, and it's that which is what;s causing some confusion. Many remember him dying in the early 2000s and were very surprised to hear he actually passed on in October 2020.

No doubt Randi himself would have found himself being the subject of this confusion greatly amusing, There's no record of what he thought about the Mandela Effect when he was alive, but it's not too difficult for people to figure out what it would have been.