HISTORY'S WILDEST HOAXES

From beavers on the Moon to ancient giants, leave reality behind in a rundown of the 18 greatest ever shams and swindles

1. MERMAID SPOTTED IN NEW YORK HARBOR
Creatures' existence confirmed.

This abomination arrived in New York City in July 1842 after being supposedly found off the coast of Fiji. It was brought to American shores by Dr J Griffin, a member of the 'British Lyceum of Natural History’, who was convinced that mermaids existed. The so called 'Feejee Mermaid’ caught the attention of showman PT Bamum, who requested to put it on display at his museum. A classic depiction of a mermaid was used to advertise the exhibition, and newspapers, each believing they had an exclusive, published the details of this incredible story.

Once the crowds arrived at the hastily arranged exhibition, they were disappointed to find that the mermaid was in fact half-monkey, half-fish. It was later revealed that the whole affair had been a stunt by Bamum to gain much-needed publicity, and Griffin had been hired as a phony naturalist. The Feejee had in fact been sewn together by Japanese fishermen, who often created these 'hybrid' creatures for use in religious ceremonies and worship.

2. EXCLUSIVE. HITLER'S DIARY FOUND IN DRESDEN
Read the twisted thoughts of the Führer

In April 1983, German magazine Stern thought they secured the deal of the century when they paid $6 million to print Adolf Hitler's diaries. The editors at Stern were so ecstatic with the exclusive that they didn't invite any experts to analyse the diaries before putting their money on the table - a critical error. Sadly for the weekly news magazine, the books weren't from the pen of the Fiihrer at all and were actually the sneaky work of Stuttgart forger Konrad Kajau and journalist Gerd Heidemann, who claimed to have discovered the diaries in a crash site in Dresden. The German authorities didn't see the funny side and both Kajau and Heidemann were jailed.

3. PASTA FOR ALL!
Huge spaghetti tree harvest recorded in Switzerland

Money doesn't grow on trees - but spaghetti does, if you believe the BBC. The incredible news was reported in a TV broadcast on April Fools' Day 1957, with the deadly serious Richard Dimbleby on presenting duties. The Panorama presenter explained how a mild winter had allowed for a plentiful spaghetti crop on the slopes of Lake Lugano. To many naive British viewers, the story seemed entirely plausible, as shots showed strands of the pasta being pulled off the trees. No one even questioned Dimbleby when he claimed that each strand could now be grown to the same length after years of selective breeding.

An estimated 8 million people tuned in and even BBC director Ian Jacobs confessed to doublechecking what spaghetti was. The joke had worked a charm, and the BBC later tried to repeat its triumph first with claims that Big Ben was going digital in 1980, and then a YouTube video on flying penguins in 2008. Both valiant efforts, but not as iconic as the 1957 original.

4. CHEEKY MONK-IES
The legendary King Arthur’s grave found in Glastonbury Abbey

This hoax dates back to the 12th century when Glastonbury monks, struggling for funds after a fire and envious of Westminster Abbey's architecture, created an elaborate story to boost their own abbey's stature. In the 1190s, the monks began spreading the word that the skeletons of the legendary king of the Britons and his wife Guinevere were buried under the abbey church. The hoax turned out to be a masterstroke, as people were confident of its authenticity due to Glastonbury's reputation as an ancient holy site. The legend lived on for centuries even after the abbey's destruction in the Reformation.

In 1981, the hoax made a brief comeback when a lead cross, reported to be the same one initially found at Glastonbury identifying King Arthur's grave, was reclaimed after a dredging operation. However, it was revealed that its discoverer, Derek Mahoney, had simply recreated the cross in the hope of raising some funds to help pay off debts.

5. DEAD SOLDIER GIVES AWAY ALLIED INVASION PLANS

Bead soldier gives away Milled Invasion elans Hoaxes aren't all fun and games, some can turn entire military campaigns on their heads. In July 1943, the Allies were preparing to launch an invasion of Sicily, punching upwards through the soft Italian underbelly of the Axis. To throw the Wehrmacht off the Allied scent, an ingenious idea was devised by Flight Lieutenant Charles Cholmondeley and Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu.

Known as Operation Mincemeat, the body of a victim of pneumonia was put in the water and sent off towards Axis positions along with a briefcase of plans that stated the Allies would be undertaking an invasion on Greece and Sardinia, not Sicily.

The secrets of course were a bluff but the bait was taken by Italian soldiers. Sicily was left ripe for the taking as the liberation of Europe continued.

6. NEW CULT TAKES KNOWN WORLD BY STORM

Alexander the Paphlagonian was one of the ancient world's top phoneys. Seeking fame and fortune, in about 100 CE he decided to create a mysterious new religion known as Glycon, which involved, among other things, a god in the form of a snake and a marriage between himself and the Moon. The bizarre cult was embraced by people who became convinced that Alexander could cure the sick and raise the dead.

Alexander had clearly taken his new cult seriously and, as the self-appointed prophet, buried bronze tablets filled with cryptic writing, discovering them 'by accident' later. Initially followers flocked to the new religion in their droves but soon saw through the façade. Nevertheless, Alexander's fame spread far and wide and even Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelias chose to meet with him prior to a military campaign.

7. BODY OF THREE-METRE-TALL GIANT UNEARTHED IN NEW YORK STATE

A group of workmen were just going about their business on 16 October 1869 when they uncovered what looked like the body of a giant human. Known as the 'petrified man', it sent shockwaves across the USA as people began to believe the biblical idea that giants once roamed the Earth. However, it soon became clear that this was in fact a ploy by New Yorker tobacconist and atheist George Hull, who wanted to get the upper hand in a bust up with a Christian fundamentalist. To get one over on his rival, Hull commissioned a stonemason to carve and then bury the huge figure. The scam was debunked by PT Barnum (of Barnum's American Museum) who created an exact replica, proving it was a sham.

8. WOMAN GIVES BIRTH TO RABBITS

Taking the award for the downright weirdest entry in the list is this tale from 18th-century Godaiming, England. After claiming she had been sexually assaulted by a giant rabbit, servant Mary Toft then 'gave birth’ to five dead bunnies. Local surgeon John Howard delivered the rabbits and was astonished by the unfolding events. He quickly notified other surgeons of his ordeal and even King George I himself sent two men to check it out for themselves. The news spread like wildfire through Early Modern Europe and many investigators rushed to see what all the fuss was about.

The event earned Toft celebrity status, but in the prime of her 15 minutes of fame, a German surgeon pulled the plug on the hoax that many were starting to believe. He inspected one of the dead rabbits and found hay and straw in its dung, meaning it could not have grown inside Toft; the terrible truth was revealed: Toft had been inserting the animals into her private parts and had then 'given birth to them’. To Toft's credit, she had fooled an entire nation and had briefly become the talk of the capital when she was taken to London for tests by the country's best physicians.

9. LOCH NESS MONSTER IS REAL

One of the most legendary fables of folklore, the Loch Ness monster was an ideal foundation for elaborate hoaxes. One of the most famous is the so-called surgeon's photo from 1934. Big game hunter Marmaduke Weatherall had been assigned by the Daily Mail to investigate Loch Ness and reported what he believed to be the monster's footprints. After this was proven to be false, Weatherall was laughed out of town, but this was just the start.

The vengeful hunter enlisted the help of renowned practical joker 'The Surgeon’ (real name Robert Wilson) and published what looked like a very authentic photo. Sceptics were always convinced it was a hoax, and in 1984, an article published in the British Journal Of Photography reasoned that what was in the image could be no more than a metre or two long, so was more likely a small mammal or marine bird. Amazingly, it was still believed to be genuine until 1994 when Weatherall’s stepson Christian Spurling confessed it was indeed a hoax. The story had finally been put to bed but Weatherall may well have been the publicity agent for Loch Ness, as his stunt greatly increased the legend's popularity.

10. FIRST PHOTOS OF FAIRIES REVEALED

The early 20th century was a real hoax hotbed, mainly due to the continued growth of photography. One example of grainy black and white photos doing the trick was the story of the Cottingley Fairies in 1917. Just outside of Bradford, cousins Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths were playing around with a camera. Once the photos were developed, something peculiar happened and what looked like fairies appeared in the prints.

Soon enough, word got around and none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote an article in Strand Magazine claiming their validity. After photographic experts of the day had also been convinced they were real, the story went global. The strange images showed the girls with what looked like gnomes and fairies in front of them. After the early fanfare, sceptics soon started questioning the photos. The true answer only emerged in 1983 when an article was printed with the two cousins confessing to the fakes. It turned out that the fairies were actually cut outs from children's book and spiritualists everywhere were left disappointed. The ploy had been a farce but it still provided some much-needed lighthearted news during the latter days of World War I.

11. ALIEN AUTOPSY FOOTAGE LEAKED

In 1995, video footage of what looked like an alien being operated on was released. The work of film producer Ray Santilli, some started to believe it was proof that we are not alone in the universe.

However, it wasn't long until forensic experts got hold of the recording and were able to debunk the hoax. According to them, the so-called surgeons were holding their instruments incorrectly and it was all too convenient that the camera got out of focus when it neared the body. As Santilli got more and more hesitant to show his video to other experts, the story began to unravel. It was only in 2006 when he admitted that it was a fake but still maintained that there was real footage, which was in too poor a condition to show. That year a British film was released lampooning the event with Santilli as executive producer, and the original video goes down as one of the most elaborate extraterrestrial hoaxes in history.

12. HERO POW RETURNS HOME AFTER 4,800 KM WALK

In 1932, the shadow of WWI still loomed over Germany. France had assured their former enemies that all German prisoners of war had been discharged, so when Oscar Daubmann came forward with his astonishing tale, the press leapt on it. Daubmann explained that he was a war veteran who had spent 16 years in a French POW camp. He had managed to escape and walked 4,800 kilometres before getting a boat to Italy and making it back to Germany.

However, the French government couldn't find any record of his existence. It eventually came to light that he was a career criminal named Karl Hummel who had formulated the fib to get back to his homeland.

13. MACHINE TURNS WATER INTO GOLD

Today this invention would sound far too good to be true, but in 1897, investors were willing to throw money at it. It was said by its creator Prescott Ford Jemegan and his partner Charles Fisher that the machine could turn plentiful saltwater into rare gold. People with more money than sense went mad for it, and the basic swindle became incredibly effective. Every night, Fisher would put small amounts of gold into boxes off the coast and the next day, it looked like the machine had turned seawater into the precious metal. Knowing their scam wouldn't last long, the two men fled shortly after, each with $200,000 in their pockets.

14. POPE TAKES OVER ROMAN EMPIRE

A document found in the 8th century turned the history of the Western Roman Empire on its head. According to the 'Donation of Constantine', the empire had converted to Christianity during the reign of Emperor Constantine between the years 285 and 337, and huge swathes of the empire were given to the Catholic Church. The donation was written in an attempt to restrict the growing power of the Byzantine Empire and is believed to have been the work of a cleric under the supervision of Pope Stephen II. It was only in 1440 that it was found to be forgery by Italian Humanist Lorenzo Valla and the church was forced to own up.

15. MISSING LINK BETWEEN HUMANS AND APES IS FOUND AT LAST

Now to one of the perhaps more plausible hoaxes on the list, at face value at least. The small hamlet of Piltdown was all over the front pages when in 1912 a human skull was found in a gravel pit. After being taken away for research, scientists declared the 'Piltdown Man’ as the missing evolutionary link between humans and apes. It was only 40 years later that the find was questioned again, and on closer inspection, fluorine testing established that it was actually an Orangutan jaw rooted with chimpanzee teeth. A clever ploy, and to this day, the placer of the bones remains unknown.

16. BEAVER COLONY FOUND ON THE MOON

Also known as the Great Moon Hoax, six articles were published in the New York newspaper The Sun in 1835, in a blatant lie, claiming a new settlement had been discovered on the Moon. Bizarrely, this new population wasn't made up of your typical alien invaders but instead included unicorns, beavers and even winged humans. The Sun's rival the New York Herald saw an opportunity to undermine its competitor and ran the headline 'The Astronomical Hoax Explained’. Remarkably, no one took notice of the rather more sensible headline and a legend was born.

The story's supposed credibility came from astronomer Sir William Herschel, whose telescope could magnify to such an extent that he could see the Moon's surface. The British astronomer (who had passed away 13 years before) was prone to the odd astronomical gaffe or two and the source for the article was given as The Edinburgh Journal Of Science. Needless to say, The Sun benefited from the outrageous hoax with pamphlets and prints selling well. The story endured for a good five years until the journalist responsible for the headline, Richard Adams Locke, owned up, declaring that it was always his intention to satirise.

17. BEATLES, STONES AND DYLAN TO FORM SUPERGROUP

It was music to the ears of every pop fan in 1969 when Rolling Stone magazine announced that four giants of music were set to collaborate on an all-new album. The Masked Marauders was to be the greatest supergroup ever created with Beatles Paul McCartney and John Lennon joining forces with Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan to create a scintillating album.

While an album was made by a band with this name, the four behemoths of music had not in fact collaborated on it. Instead, the songs were written by an obscure Californian band. However, the brains behind the project, reviews editor Greil Marcus, covered his back stating that the stars could not be named on the album cover for legal reasons rather than their lack of involvement.

The nine-track album shifted 100,000 copies, just missing out on the Billboard Hot 100. It was meant in good spirit though, and each buyer was notified of the real deal by the record's inner sleeve. Marcus stated that he started the publicity stunt because he was fed up of the overwhelmingly positive reviews that supergroups were getting so he decided to parody the idea - and very much succeeded.

18. MYSTERIOUS CROP CIRCLES ARE WORK OF UFOS

The appearance of crop circles had been a mystery in Britain until 1991 when two British farmers claimed that they had been the brains behind them since 1976. Using a simple combination of rope and wooden planks to prove their point, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley turned what had started out as a jokey pub talk into a full-blown scheme. Aliens, ghosts and even God had previously been blamed for the phenomena, but now it seemed that these two men were the real reason for the elaborate patterns left in fields. It was later revealed to be a hoax, and the whole episode helped ridicule the idea of UFO-made crop circles.

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SOUNDS LIKE A HOAX

Real events that seem like hoaxes but were actually quite real.

a. USA Investigates Psychic Powers

One of the most unusual military experiments of all time, the Pentagon spent $20 million between 1972 and 1995 testing to see if people had extrasensory powers. People were shown locations they had never seen before to try to decipher whether they could psychically see events.

b. Celebs' Floating Dog Kennel

This tale from the 1960s is as weird as it sounds and involved glamour couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The pair purchased a yacht just for their dogs to live in, as Britain had a quarantine restriction at the time.

c. The Duck-Billed Platypus is Real

In 1799, Captain John Hunter stumbled across an animal quite unlike any other. His description of the animal with the bill of a duck and the skin of a mole was so alien to British minds that it was initially dismissed.

Written by Jack Griffiths in "All About History", UK, issue 41, July 2016, excerpts pp. 75-80. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.