Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone, the basis upon which archaeologists deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphics, was found to be a forgery in 1953.

Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan Jackson was a stonemason before joining the Confederate Army, earning him the nickname "Stonewall."

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes got their name from their habit of infesting medieval Spanish mosques.

Tennessee Ernie Ford

Singer Tennessee Ernie Ford never set foot in the state of Tennessee.

Mr. Peanut

Planters created Mr. Peanut after failing to obtain the rights to use George Washington Carver's likeness in advertisements.

Suicide Hotline

In response to the thousands of April Fools' prank calls it receives, the National Suicide Hotline now shuts down operations on April 1st of each year.

Jeans

Jeans were named for Levi Strauss's mother, Jean Strauss.

Post Secret

"Post Secret" was the name of a breakfast cereal from the mid-1980's.

Sandwich

The sandwich was invented by English Puritans who interpreted literally the Bible verse, "Man 

shall not live by bread alone."

Potty Mouth

The phrase "potty mouth" comes from the British slang, "potty," meaning "crazy." It originally referred to the ramblings of a lunatic.

Kim Jong Il

In North Korea, Kim Jong Il is credited with writing over 80 plays, including Romeo & Juliet and Rent.

The Terminator

At the first screenings of the 1984 film The Terminator, the opening scene featured full frontal

nudity from stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael Biehn. The nudity was edited out of the theatrical release.

Gateway Arch

McDonald's offered to renovate St. Louis's Gateway Arch for free in 1983. However, the city refused to allow the restaurant chain to paint the monument gold, and the bid was rejected.

Río Grande

In Mexico, the Río Grande is typically called "The Big River."

Skunks

Skunks have no sense of smell.

Ulysses S. Grant

Alarmed by his excessive drinking, Ulysses S. Grant's doctor warned the future Civil War hero and president that he had only two years to live. The year was 1860.

Roswell

In 1953, the city council of Roswell, New Mexico passed a resolution banning estraterrestrials from holding public office.

Ray Gaye

Ray Gaye, pioneer of the style of music later dubbed "reggae," was the second cousin of soul singer Marvin Gaye.

MF'er

The word "MF'er" comes from "mothersucker," an innocuous English word used centuries ago to refer to a nursing infant. Because the English script of the time used stylized s's that looked like f's, the word was often mispronounced, producing a new, obscene insult.