January 2019
January 12, 2019
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence
An honest mistaken memory, or a deliberate hoax to cash in on the early glamour of the American Revolution? You decide!
The Wikipedia page.
History Channel account.
The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is a text published in 1819 with the claim that it was the first declaration of independence made in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution. It was supposedly signed on May 20, 1775, in Charlotte, North Carolina, by a committee of citizens of Mecklenburg County, who declared independence from Great Britain after hearing of the battle of Lexington. If the story is true, the Mecklenburg Declaration preceded the United States Declaration of Independence by more than a year. The authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration has been disputed since it was published, forty-four years after it was reputedly written. There is no verifiable evidence to confirm the original document's existence and no reference to it has been found in extant newspapers from 1775.[citation needed]
Professional historians have maintained that the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is an inaccurate rendering of an authentic document known as the Mecklenburg Resolves. The Mecklenburg Resolves were a set of radical resolutions passed on May 31, 1775, that fell short of an actual declaration of independence. Although published in newspapers in 1775, the text of the Mecklenburg Resolves was lost after the American Revolution and not rediscovered until 1838. Historians believe that the Mecklenburg Declaration was written in 1800 in an attempt to recreate the Mecklenburg Resolves from memory. According to this theory, the author of the Mecklenburg Declaration mistakenly believed that the Resolves had been a declaration of independence, and so he recreated the Resolves with language borrowed from the United States Declaration of Independence. Defenders of the Mecklenburg Declaration have argued that both the Mecklenburg Declaration and the Mecklenburg Resolves are authentic.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Jan 12, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Antiques, Anachronisms and Throwbacks, Confusion, Misunderstanding, and Incomprehension, Government, Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators, Politics, Eighteenth Century, Nineteenth Century
January 11, 2019
The rookie rower who failed to cross the Atlantic
Even though he had only been on the ocean once, while taking the Newfoundland ferry, Arthur Russell figured he could row across the Atlantic. He practiced for two years on his rowing machine and then set off from Halifax harbor. Six hours later, he had to signal for help and was rescued.
Edmonton Journal - May 31, 1990
Posted By: Alex - Fri Jan 11, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: Boats, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, Sports, 1990s
Mystery Gadget 70
What is this tool used for?
Answer is here.
Or after the jump.
More in extended >>
Posted By: Paul - Fri Jan 11, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Technology, 1980s
January 10, 2019
The Jump-Roping Rabbi
Rabbi Barry Silberg set a world record in 1975 for jumping rope for five hours. According to Guinness, the current record, set in 2009, is 33 hours 20 minutes. That's not even close. So why such a huge difference? Did shoes get better, or something?
Moline Dispatch - June 25, 1975
Green Bay Press Gazette - Mar 31, 1975
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jan 10, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Sports, World Records
January 9, 2019
Art Disposal Service
A variation on the weird-news theme of art mistaken for trash -- art purposefully thrown away as trash. From KPBS.org:
via Esoteric Survey
New York Times - Nov 17, 1968
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 09, 2019 -
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Category: Art, Garbage, Trash, Waste and Other Detritus
Liver, Bacon and Pineapple
Yes? No? For breakfast? Undecided until you try some? Let us know!
Posted By: Paul - Wed Jan 09, 2019 -
Comments (4)
Category: Annoying Things, Antisocial Activities, Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Daredevils, Stuntpeople and Thrillseekers, Delusions, Fantasies and Other Tricks of the Imagination, Dreams and Nightmares, Food, 1960s, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust, Sadness
January 8, 2019
Coolmen
A new device that promises to help treat male infertility by keeping your little men cool. From the manufacturer's website:More info: India Times,
Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 08, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Genitals
Artwork Khrushchev Probably Would Not Have Liked 18
Brassaï (Gyula Halász)
Prostitute Undressing
1934-35
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 08, 2019 -
Comments (2)
Category: Art, Avant Garde, Sexuality, 1930s, Russia
January 7, 2019
Juror spots stolen shoes
Either this was an ingenious way to get out of jury duty, or a truly random coincidence.What I find particularly odd is that the shoes were obviously pretty crappy, with paint spots and frayed laces. So somewhat weird that someone would steal them in the first place, and then choose to wear them while serving as a witness at a trial... and then, by sheer chance, the owner of the shoes happens to be in the jury.
Fort Lauderdale News - Jan 18, 1986
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jan 07, 2019 -
Comments (0)
Category: Crime, Shoes, 1980s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction books such as Elephants on Acid. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Chuck Shepherd Chuck is the purveyor of News of the Weird, the syndicated column which for decades has set the gold-standard for reporting on oddities and the bizarre. Our banner was drawn by the legendary underground cartoonist Rick Altergott. Contact Us |
