HISTORY This Week

Bunnies, Baseball, and Aliens on the Moon

Mar 27, 2023
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ANECDOTE

Mary Toft's Rabbit-Birth Hoax

  • Mary Toft, a poor English woman in 1726, claimed to give birth to rabbits as part of an elaborate hoax.
  • Animal parts were smuggled inside her body to produce convincing but false evidence of rabbit births.
INSIGHT

Maternal Imagination Theory Explained

  • The popular 18th century theory of maternal imagination explained physical traits of babies as influenced by what the mother saw.
  • This belief made people accept Mary Toft's rabbit births as plausible at the time.
ANECDOTE

Sid Finch: Legendary Baseball Hoax

  • In 1985, the New York Mets played along with an April Fools' Day Sports Illustrated hoax about Sid Finch, a fictional superhuman pitcher.
  • The hoax captivated fans with amazing feats and an elaborate backstory, fooling many.
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