TJ_Fox OP t1_jd9tsyx wrote on March 22, 2023 at 9:24 PM

Reply to comment by metaldinner in TIL that on April 1st, 1906, American newspapers ran prank articles reporting that Chicago had been "invaded by hordes of prehistoric monsters dealing death and destruction", illustrated with doctored photos showing dinosaurs attacking the Windy City. by TJ_Fox

It's also true that people sometimes casually imagine that people of the past didn't have senses of mischief, or just senses of humor, as in this case.

SuspiciouslyElven t1_jdchq9m wrote on March 23, 2023 at 12:38 PM

I bet at least one historical "fact" was an inside joke that was lost to time.

My guess is Abraham Lincoln having a high pitched voice. I bet it was deep and booming but it was funny to say otherwise.

Deathbyhours t1_jdjjxxz wrote on March 24, 2023 at 9:12 PM

The high-pitched voice was cultivated by public speakers before artificial amplification was available. The higher-pitched speaking voice is understandable farther away than a lower-pitched voice at the same volume.

Elmo would have been a very persuasive frontier politician. “Who’s against slavery!? WE are! YAAAAYYY!!!”