Welcome back to “Idiotic Facts You Didn’t Know You Needed”! Today, we dive into one of the most ridiculous and amusing hoaxes ever pulled off: the Great Bathtub Hoax of 1917. This story involves a famous writer, a fake historical claim, and a nation of gullible readers. So, fill up your tub and get ready to soak in this hilarious tale.
The Prankster Behind the Hoax
The mastermind behind the Great Bathtub Hoax was none other than H.L. Mencken, a prominent journalist and satirist known for his sharp wit and keen sense of humor. Mencken decided to play a practical joke on the American public by fabricating a completely false but highly entertaining article.
The Fabricated History
On December 28, 1917, Mencken published an article in the New York Evening Mail titled “A Neglected Anniversary.” In it, he claimed to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the bathtub to the United States. According to Mencken, the first American bathtub was installed on December 20, 1842, by a Cincinnati man named Adam Thompson. He described how the introduction of the bathtub was met with resistance and outrage from the medical community and public officials, who deemed it dangerous and unhealthy.
The Wild Claims
Mencken’s article included absurd claims, such as President Millard Fillmore having installed the first bathtub in the White House and the medical community initially considering bathtubs a threat to public health. The piece was filled with fabricated details and humorous anecdotes, all presented with Mencken’s trademark deadpan delivery.
The Public’s Gullibility
To Mencken’s surprise, his fictional history was taken seriously by many readers and even some historians. The story was reprinted in newspapers and magazines across the country, and the details of the supposed bathtub controversy were accepted as fact. For years, the false history of the bathtub was widely believed, demonstrating just how easily misinformation can spread.
Mencken Comes Clean
In 1926, nearly a decade after the original article was published, Mencken finally revealed the truth. In an article titled “Melancholy Reflections,” he confessed to the hoax and admitted that he had fabricated the entire story as a joke. He expressed amazement at how readily people had accepted the absurd claims and highlighted the incident as a commentary on human gullibility and the need for skepticism.
The Aftermath
The Great Bathtub Hoax remains one of the most famous journalistic pranks of all time. It serves as a humorous reminder of the importance of critical thinking and the potential for even the most outlandish claims to be accepted if presented convincingly. Mencken’s hoax has become a legend in the annals of journalism, illustrating both his wit and the public’s tendency to believe what they read without question.
Lessons from the Bathtub Hoax
What can we learn from the Great Bathtub Hoax? It’s a funny yet enlightening reminder of the need to question and verify information, no matter how authoritative it may seem. It also underscores the power of storytelling and the ease with which fiction can be mistaken for fact.
A Soapy Conclusion
So next time you step into your bathtub, remember the Great Bathtub Hoax and have a good laugh at how one man’s prank turned into a widely believed historical fact. Until next time, keep exploring the wonderfully weird world of historical facts and idiotic events!
Stay tuned for more strange and amusing historical facts that will leave you laughing and scratching your head in disbelief!