1. The Story of Charlie No-Face
This tale is an example of one of those true stories that gets twisted in each retelling. In the early 1900s, a Hillsville boy was electrocuted by a trolley wire, resulting in a lifelong disfigurement whereby most of his facial features had melted away. As Charlie grew into an adult, rumors about his strange nighttime activities began to crop up, becoming more and more preposterous as the rumor mill spun. Today, the people of Pennsylvania insist that Charlie No-Face has become a radioactive, glowing green man who haunts an abandoned freight tunnel with the ability to stall any cars daring to trespass in his tunnel. However, the truth is that he was just a person who experienced an unfortunate childhood accident.
2. Neil Armstrong’s Bungled Moon Landing Speech
This was a pivotal moment for all of humanity. We all know the phrase 'one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' The crucial part that Armstrong left out was the word 'a'. He was meant to say 'One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.' This one word would have made the distinction a little clearer and after listening to the recording of himself, Armstrong has since admitted to misspeaking the line.
3. The Government Stole Dead Children
Sort of. During the testing after World War II, after the U.S. had dropped the world's first atomic bomb, scientists wanted to determine the effect of nuclear radiation on human flesh. In a number of tests known as 'Project Sunshine,' the test subjects were deceased children - specifically, stillborn babies. Their parents were probably not even notified about how their children's bodies were being experimented on. While it may sound gruesome and sad, it is unfortunately true.
4. A Corpse in the Water Tank
Sometimes, the water at your hotel tastes disgusting. Consider that one of the causes may be a dead body floating in the water supply, thus contributing to the less than desirable taste. At least, this is what happened at an LA hotel in 2013. After several days of guests complaining about a terrible smell that emanated anytime they turned on the shower - as well as the terrible taste when they tried to brush their teeth. So, management decided to check the water tank on the hotel roof and found the body of 21-year-old Elisa Lam floating inside. It was estimated that her body was in the tank for two weeks.
5. Murderers in the Medicine Cabinets
In the 1992 horror film, Candyman, it includes a scene where the main characters learn that a murderer might be entering apartments via the medicine cabinets. Apparently, this was once a structural flaw in some apartment complexes. It has been reported that the medicine cabinets in adjoining apartments in Chicago were connected by a flimsy partition. In fact, an actual murder was committed by criminals who entered through this weak structure.
6. The Watcher
When a family purchased their dream home in New Jersey, a stalker who called himself, 'the watcher' barraged them with a series of letters. He claimed, among other things, that his own family has 'watched' the house for generations. He also inquired about when they would be filling the house with 'young blood.' However, it is unclear if there is any truth to what was alleged in the letters. Still, it was enough to scare the parents and their three young children.
7. The Bogeyman
While parents reassure their children that the Bogeyman doesn't exist, on Staten Island in the 1980s, he was all too real. There were stories about 'Cropsey' in which he would drag children from their beds. He carried a bloody ax in the crook of his arm. In reality, the legends surrounding Cropsey can likely all be traced back to a man, Andre Rand. Rand worked as a janitor at Willowbrook State School, which specialized in providing services for children with disabilities. Later, he was suspected of kidnapping multiple children from the school.
8. The House at the Bottom of the Lake
In the murky depths of Salem's Gardner Lake, is a fully intact house. Supposedly the house sank beneath the surface when a family had attempted to move it across the frozen lake in the midst of the 19th century. What's more? The really eerie part is that, to this day, fishermen report hearing strained musical notes gurgling up to the surface of the lake, supposedly issuing from the parlor room piano.
9. The Entire Town at the Bottom of the Lake
While it is no Atlantis, it is probably as close as America is going to get to the Underwater City of myth. In the 40s, an entire, evacuated town in Georgia was flooded purposefully with gallons of water in order to build what is now known as Lake Lanier. It is said that the entire community, including a racetrack, was submerged by the lake-building project.
