My first list was accused of being too American-centric. So here are 10 more corrections to misconceptions that non-Listverse people may have but this time you’ll need your passport handy to read it.
The Error: The former Soviet Union celebrated the October Revolution in October.
Although the Bolsheviks took control over October 25-26, 1917, this was under the Old Style (Julian) calendar. One of the first things the Communists did was to modernize their calendar to the Gregorian Calendar – thereby pushing the day ahead 13 days (into November). This was a major holiday in the Soviet Union, mostly because with the official ban on religion the biggest holidays were civil holidays such as May Day and the October Revolution.
The Error: The British king George I of Hanover used English or German when speaking with his cabinet.
I don’t know that this is so much a misconception as “it’s obvious” that a British monarch would speak English. Those who know history and realize George I was a German prince who spoke no English may then think that “it’s obvious” he and his advisors spoke German. The reality is that since his cabinet did not speak German, the lingua franca in the meetings was French.
The Error: The Titanic was the first ship known to use the distress code “SOS”?
Although British ships preferred the traditional distress call “CQD”, most of the other European countries used the International Conference on Wireless Communication at Sea standard set in 1908 of “SOS”. The French ship Niagara is known to have used “SOS” well before the Titanic did. Incidently, in CQD, the CQ was a general call on a telegraph line with the D standing for Distress. In James Cameron’s “Titanic”, he did get it right that the radio operator tried both CQD and SOS after the new distress call was suggested to him.
The Error: John Kennedy was the first to say “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
Yes, the misconception is American but the backstory is international. American politicians are renowned for plagiarizing their best lines from foreign sources. For example, Abraham Lincoln took the phrase “a government of the people, by the people and for the people” from the preface of John Wycliff’s 1384 edition of the Bible and current Vice-President Joe Biden cribbed a few speeches while in the Senate from Labour Party MP Neil Kinnock. This quote thought by many Americans to be pure Kennedy was actually from Lebanese writer Khalil Gibran in an article advocating his Lebanese brethren to rebel against the occupying Ottoman Turks.
The Error: Alexander Fleming invented the antibiotic “penicillin”.
Many will disagree with this since it is more a question of semantics than a misconception. Although Alexander Fleming DISCOVERED that the mold Penicillium notatum has antibacterial properties, he was not a chemist and growing and culturing the mold was difficult for him. Howard Florey with the assistance of Ernst Chain was able to purify the penicillin and put it in a form for use in humans, thereby INVENTING penicillin as a true antibiotic.
The Error: Watson and Crick discovered DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid).
Again, people on Listverse will say “everyone knows that” but many people learn the simplified version that James Watson and Francis Crick discovered DNA, probably because they won the Nobel Prize for their discovery of the double-helix structure of DNA. The true discoverer was Friedrich Miescher was analyzing pus cell nuclei in 1868 when he discovered nuclein. He was able to analyze this further and discovered an acid component which he called deoxyribonucleic acid. Scientists Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty were the first to show a link between DNA and heredity in 1943 and Rosalind Franklin did the first X-ray diffraction pattern study of DNA. What Watson & Crick did was to develop a model of DNA that accounted for all of the previous research discoveries.
The Error: Mouton-Rothschild is a top-grade Chateau claret.
The five growths (classes) of red Bordeaux were determined in 1855. Four were considered First Class Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion. Mouton-Rothschild did not like being place in second class so their motto is “Premier ne puis. Second ne daigne. Mouton suis.” (First I cannot be. Second I do not deign to be. I am Mouton.) All I know is I certainly would not turn down a glass of it.
The Error: The fax machine was invented after the telephone.
Scottish inventor Alexander Bain had invented the electric clock back in 1841. In 1843 he used his work on electric clock to patent a device that could be synchronized with a twin over telegraph lines, which according to some stories he did so he could transmit a picture of a new-born calf (if true it would need to be a daguerreotype which seems very unlikely for just a cow). Frederick Bakewell patented a better fax machine in 1848, two years before Bain updated his and in 1861 an Italian Giovanni Caselli invented the first high quality fax. All of this was done before both Alexander Bell and Elisha Gray independently filed for the telephone patent on 14 February 1876.
The Error: Albert Einstein was a poor student.
The myth that Einstein was a poor student started when an American researcher mistranslated some of Einstein’s report cards by not taking into account the grading system at the time. While Einstein was in school, students were given grades 1 to 6, 1 being the best. This was reversed (1 was worst) the year after Einstein graduated. Further research has uncovered a letter from Albert’s mother to his aunt complimenting his grades, but I guess the image of Einstein going from failing school to being a top physicist is too good to be changed because of the truth.
The Error: Pandas eat only bamboo.
The reason that pandas eat so much bamboo is that it doesn’t run away. They are omnivores that have adapted to a primarily bamboo diet but they will eat anything they can catch like small animals and carrion. The problem is that they are so slow from the fact that bamboo doesn’t provide a lot of energy that it is hard to catch anything else – a vicious cycle. There are a couple of great articles by National Geographic about the pandas from the 1980’s
The Error: The United States is the only country that measures things by feet, gallons, pounds, and degrees Fahrenheit.
To demonstrate how out-of-date the U.S. is from basically everyone else in the world, it is pointed out by scientists and metricians that we still use the archaic English system. It may be true, but we are not the only ones. Liberia uses the same system which is not a surprise considering that the country was started by former American slaves who named their capital after American president James Monroe and it was only recently that Liberia’s president was not a descendent of the original American emigrants. And there is a third country that uses the system – Myanmar (pictured above). As a former British colony, they of course adopted the English system. After gaining their independence, the country changed its name from Burma but not how it measured things.
I’ve read every list published on this site. I’ve even dropped a comment or two in the last couple months. It used to be fun, but now, it only gets me angry, and it carries on throughout my day. The comments used to be written by intelligent people, (long time LV commenters, you know who you are), with wit and saavy. Now, it’s full of arrogant, stick-up-their ass, jump on the “let’s all hate the U.S.” bandwagon trolls. I come here to learn interesting facts about not only my country, but others as well, and am bombarded by hateful, uneducated, disgusting comments about my beloved country. I realize it’s not “cool” or “popular” to love the U.S. these days, but I thank God everyday I was lucky enough to be born in this great country, as opposed to ANY other place on the face of this earth. Just as I am sure you feel the same about your country. So, because I am NOT for censorship, and believe that NO one has the “right” to NOT be offended, (like so many people these days believe), I am going to find something else to do with my spare time, and let you people rant all you like about my country and it’s citizens. Thanks to all those commenters who contributed great stories and bits of interesting info, and thanks to JFrater for this once great, now tainted, list site. Bye all!
@Luv4Tahoe (119): bye tahoe. I was wrong you do love your country. And appreciate it.
“Mouton-Rothschild is a top grade Chateau claret.” There is no error here. In 1855, Mouton was classified as a 2nd growth, but in 1973 it was elevated to a first growth. It is the only wine to ever be elevated to first growth status. Please check your research before you publish such “facts”
@? (30): Exactly my same thought.
The United States is the only country that measures things by feet, gallons, pounds, and degrees Fahrenheit
I´m sick of the “too american” issue, but hey! can´t anyone see the problem with previous statement.
I´m sure it was a parapraxis by the author, an interesting one by the way…
@Arsnl (114):
Whatever man. I facetiously corrected one mistake, you insulted me, and then I requested that you never call me a Nazi again. So, kindly, please do not do that again, it is a personal annoyance of mine.
@all of the anti-Americans
Really, grow up. I love American culture and American people in general. Sure, the loudest Americans can be overbearing, their foreign policy can be controversial, but most of them are truly wonderful people. You should really visit the U.S. sometime.
This is a great list. Don’t ruin it by trashing good people
@Murray Sinclair (118): Which country killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000–80,000 in Nagasaki ? The single evil country that used a apocalyptic device on the citizens of a country? Yea, we love you!
Ahhh, That’s so much better people!, a fair comment deserves a fair response.
@ Arsnl (120): A welcome comment, full respect, now you and Scratch shake hands and walk away. I know it’s not easy sometimes when one person doesn’t understand the other – even a joke – but I think you two have gotten past it now. Let’s move on.
@Scratch (123):
It goes both ways though, as a Canadian I don’t mind reading lists about the states, and seeing comments that bash the states are annoying and useless for sure, but seeing comments like 34, 95 and 110 that ask where would the world be without the states are pretty annoying too.
@Luv4Tahoe (119):
Or you could just read the lists and not the comments…
Great to see a really international list! I never understand some of the more american focused ones
@Leopold Stoch (126):
Well, yes, Americans who think that the United States is the single most important entity in the universe and that all countries outside of their borders are living in third-world hellholes are bothersome and tend to fan the flames of hatred. However, their idiocy does not justify the outright hatred people spew at Americans.
*all residents of countries outside their . . .
@Nasaka (124): Right, this is my last comment – promise! Every country in the WORLD has gone to war at some point and has been responsible for killing thousands or hundreds of thousands of people. Yes, the Bomb killed many in one blow – but it brought an end to a war which would have gone on to kill many many times more – on all sides. I could go on explaining to folks why their anti-American arguments are misguided in some way, but I really can’t be arsed. See ya’ll tomorrow maybe.
These comments are too American
Mouton-Rothschild actually is a top-grade Chateau claret. the list was re-done in 1973 and it was made Premiers Crus. I also think they re-did their slogan at the same time. So unless you own a bottle over 37 years old it should have the new classification and slogan.
@Scratch (128):
The bottom line is people just like to hate, and hate leads to more hate, it’s a vicious circle, but fortunately it’s easy to ignore on LV and the more you let people know it bugs you the more they will do it, just like any bully really.
@Lifeschool (129): Why not do it in Palestine/Israel conflicts etc if saving people is your goal ? No, matter what your rant is about ending the war, it never justifies the use of such a horrific device ,whose blow the generations to come have to bear!
TRILLIONS of dollars in debt
lifesschool is an bit of an idiot
@Chris (34): Read the lists, stop reading ones you don’t like and stop *****ing and moaning.
@deeeziner (45): I can remember a time here at LV when reading the comments to a list were just as educational as the list itself…Nowadays the comments area reads like a “poor me, I didn’t get what I wanted from Santa, so I’m just gonna throw poo like a rabid ape” shopping list.
I believe it was our founding father Jamie Frater who once said: “Ask not what a list can do for you, but what you can do for a list.” He stole that line from Kennedy btw.
@Leopold Stoch (132):
True enough. It’s sad really.
@Maggot (136): @Scratch (137): ” A poor man had Maggots in his wounds that he was scratching so viciously that it started bleeding”! Nice List !
Hahahaha voice of reason, you say that the US will be a 3rd world country in 10 years? You don’t even know what a 3rd world country is. Read a book you moron.
well, this is my first post, but I’ve been a LV fan for a while now. I hate to say it, but I want more American lists. You know why? Because America is slammin’. I didn’t even feel that patriotic until I read all the comments from the rude American-bashing pricks. It just makes me realize why all of us Americans are hated: because humans are monkeys and we have to demonize someone and it might as well be the biggest swingin’ *****on the block. My country may mess up every now and then, but at least we do it with a pair of shades on, a beer in hand and a lit lucky strike. You can keep your berets and teatime and fight your own danm wars. We will keep rocking ’til the god damn apocalypse. Deal with all of your tyranical neighbors alone. We can take care of ourselves. USA! USA! USA!
@ Taji (95) you americans are too full of yourselves
America! ***** yeah! Comin’ again to save the mother *****in’ day, yeah! America! ***** yeah!
Terrorists your days are through cause now you have to answer to America! ***** yeah! So lick my butt and suck on my balls!
Reading these comments is like watching a couple of monkeys ***** a football.
The only reason everyone is hating on America is because they think they’ll seem intelligent by doing so. You wouldn’t be saying half the ***** you are if there wasn’t an ocean between us. We can’t help who we’re lead by. You say all that like your countries aren’t lead by money grubbing pussies with other agendas. If I were in the same room, I’d slap your berets off and pour your tea in your laps. I love my country, so you can suck my red, white and blue dick. (Yes, I am having that looked at by a doctor that my government doesn’t have to pay for)
@ Benjamin (141): Wow… First class retardism delivered to my door step? Thanks, but no thanks… Aye, Dios mio… :-/
For everyone who is not American just be happy you have cool accents and can come over here and steal all of our women.
America’s the land of everyone from everywhere else. I’d say foreigners made it “great” and the naturals only use obscenities to build up almost completely baseless points… Just saying.
Don’t mind me ranting; I’m just glad it’s weekend and felt compelled to linger out my skin, for a bit… Lol!
You gave credit to Khalil Gibran!!!! Awesome! Great list!
I have been enamored of Khalil Gibran since my teen years. Inspiring…lets have a top ten Khalil Gibran quotes list!
Well ok maybe everyone here might not be as interested as I in said subject matter, but it would seriously geek me out.
Whatever, broad. Go ahead and call me a retard. You sound like a six year old, and again, wouldn’t say that to someone’s face.
I’m just sick of people bashing my country over and over on a site that I love. I’ve been coming to LV for a while and haven’t commented- until now. So, just so you know, when you insult something I love and am am part of, I’ll let you know where you can go- anywhere else in the *****ing world.
BTW why does evreyone hate America? I get the bush thing but besides a couple of stupid wars, what did we really do? I study history and I don’t remember (besides bush) when we did a giant middle finger to the world to make yall(yes I am from the south)hate us. Anyway I went Europe over the summer last year and the only people that were kind of jerk were French. I went to England, France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Spain and even Lux. and everyone seemed really nice and happy to see us. I just don’t know what we did.
@nicoleredz3 (147): This is the least we expect from the top commenter of LV !So, Please don’t bash the US! WE don’t need this here! You are better than this!
Audience
64.5% North American
22.9% European
Top Commenter
1. nicoleredz3 (138 comments)
I have been coming to this site for a long time, and have never posted anything until now. But, I have to say I think it’s quite funny that everyone complains that everything on this site is so “Americanized”, but this list is ‘international’ and people are still focusing on America in the comments! Get over it, if you hate the country so much shut up about it and focus on something else, like… the list maybe?
Um, loads of people in Britain still use the imperial system – coz we’re stubborn…
Also I’m a bit sick of the anti American comments too – and I’m Scottish ( “,)
It’s just the natural jealousy towards the current superpower.
Give it ten years and they’ll all be bashing China or India or Euro-corp (TM) or whatever.
I come here to learn stuff about random topics (and a bit about human nature) so post it wherever it’s from – and let us hoover up the randomness….
@techstyles (154): Ha, Euro-Corp.
Anywho, Good job Saint Cad for BOTH of your lists from yesterday to today. Never mind the controversy in the comments, I would love to see more of your work here on LV. Keep up the good work!
@Maggot (136): Yeah… but things are almost to the point of “pearls before swine”.
As for Jamie’s motto as you have related it to us….What’s the difference a few nouns. I just hope that our fearless leader doesn’t attract the attention of some Oswald wannabe.
Geez…The last sentence of my comment # 156 reads way worse than it looked before I pressed submit. *slinks away*
I find it hard to care about other countries. And get it right people americans invented everything. Ever. We invented life. You other country *****s are just jealous. When you finally get the technology and advancements of this century give us a holler. Until then shut your *****ing mouths and eat ***** commies.
Australia’s and France’s territorial claims in Antarctica are not recognised by international law, therefore there is no border between the two countries there.
a notable omission from germany is that people say adolf hitler was a jew, which is entirely untrue
Very nice. Many people, when asked, also think, that air with a higher humidity would sink against drier air which they think would rise. It’s just the opposite – water molecules are lighter than O2 or N2 (oxygen and nitrogen). Therefore water vapour will always rise, which is why many flat roofs are not actually leaking (although people pay for another layer of bitumen every spring
, but the water dropping can well be dew falling from UNDERNEATH.
I am confused as to why this list caused so many anti American comments.
I just found this to be another nerdy list about pointless things.
Because you people never watch any movies that are more than 20 years old, you wouldn’t know that the Titanic wasn’t the first ship to use S.O.S. In the movie “A Night To Remember’ based on a book by a Titanic survivor, the signal man is told to try the new distress call after all his initial messages are ignored.
And the wine thing is the nerdiest, smuggest, thing I have ever read.
I didn’t know any of this, but I know alot of people that know both the Metric and our American system. In my school you could learn the metric system for extra credit.
Great, now all I can imagine is pieces of bamboo running away from Panda’s
At least the USA is consistent, in Canada half the time we use the metric system and half the time we don’t, for example speed limits are measured in kilometres but most people don’t use metric when they measure food to cook or bake. It’s kind of confusing.
Anyway, interesting list. I’ve heard before it was a lie about Einstein doing badly in school, and when you explain the translation mess with the grading system, it makes sense the story got mixed up like it did.
@Ernie R. Henson
““Mouton-Rothschild is a top grade Chateau claret.” There is no error here. In 1855, Mouton was classified as a 2nd growth, but in 1973 it was elevated to a first growth. It is the only wine to ever be elevated to first growth status. Please check your research before you publish such “facts””
Hm. The latter half of your statement is incorrect. Mouton-Rothshchild is not “the only wine to ever be elevated to first growth status.” Chateau Catemerle in the Haut-Medoc AOC was given First Great Growth status in 1856. Although the nature of Chateau Catemerle’s addition was not quite the same, the elevation of it AS WELL AS Mouton-Rothschild to First Growth status are the only TWO changes/elevations in classification ever since the of the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 was established.
So… yeah, you should check your research before using your “facts” to tell other people to check their own.
@jrstar96
Correct, M-R changed their slogan in 1973 to reflect the new status: “Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change.” – which translates to “First, I am. Second, I used to be. But Mouton does not change.”
There’s some typos and other random word/grammatical/etc. things wrong with what I just wrote, I am aware.
nice list, i personally don’t have a problem with anything being too american … but whatever! : )
Wow.
I just read through the comments since my last post and there are about 4 “I love America” rants and all of them prove my point exactly. One person commented on how America can’t help who leads them… ummm try democracy your dumbass. Someone else commented about how America invented everything. Well yes thats true… you invented plastic surgery and smog. Pretty much it. Oh ya and a corrupt financial market, sorry I forgot about that one. I also like the typical “shutup commies” and the threats about beating the s#$# out of the U.S.A bashers.
Plain and simple – the U.S is the fat, retarded kid in the playground who is tough only in the eyes of his own toys in the sandbox. IE: his imagination. He talks to himself about how great he is while the other countries laugh quietly to themselves.
I just dont know how you have any pride left when are TRILLIONS of dollars in debt, and dont try and tell me that money was spent making the world a better place. You spent it destroying countries in the middle east.
And about the poster that referred to getting his penis fixed and not having his government pay for it: Im glad your happy with that idea. You’d prefer your government to spend money *****ing off the rest of the world. Anyone who says that universal healthcare is a bad thing is a giant retard whose stupidity knows no bounds. I feel so sorry for how dumb you are.
I like Americans! They’re funny. Some of the coolest stuff ever written, invented, said and manufactured has come from you guys. I just wish you hadn’t invented rampant commercialism. Otherwise, keep up the good work!
As it stands, the winners will always write the history books.
Bonus Fact:
Foreigners often believe the description that the US is backward. While it is out official system, people in the sciences are required to know BOTH systems with EASY TRANSITION between them. This is a lot more than I could say for any foreigner ive ever met
@Lifeschool (111):
Hey, why are you so nice to me?
Yeah, I did get annoyed. Fell into the trap damnit!
Nice list.
I’ve been coming to LV for quite some time now and while I usually don’t read the comments, I started to once I noticed the openers of lists mentioning complaints about it being too American.
I’m not naive enough to think that intolerance, mudslinging, etc. does not exist, but I always thought of this as a respectable site where people with the same intellectual curiousity as me could come to fill their needs. I assume the majority of people who visit are looking for this, but you wouldn’t know it by reading these comments.
Yes, I’m American. I embrace my German and Italian ancestry. My plans for my life are to visit as many countries in this world as possible and learn everything I can from their people. I read every book that touches my hands, listen to any genre of music, study history- and not just my country’s, know and appreciate the value of art and welcome change. When I graduate college I want to join the Peace Corps and use my governments money to help those who need it. And yes, this will add to the $13 trillion debt we have, but don’t complain if its you or your countrymen that I’m helping.
I am not a racist, a bigot, overweight, plastic, uneducated or diluded into thinking my country is the supreme ruler of the world.
Please know that not everyone here in the USA is any of the things you all have said in your comments.
But those who are everything you have said they are, and there’s many, ***** ‘em. They don’t know ***** anyway.
@lsky (173):
You are the Americans I like!
Quit trying to push your books. I’m published five times and I don’t need this desperation. Get a life, smell the coffee, and write for the love of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!