# When initial reports made goofs that stuck ever after **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008 "2017-08-18T21:36:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/1 "2017-08-18T21:36:09Z")
Dan Cooper—a subject recently [revisited](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=833570)—in the swirl of breaking news, got erroneously reported in the media as “D. B. Cooper,” who was someone else entirely, picked out of a phone book. Even though the error is always explained, the “D. B.” seems indelibly ingrained in the public’s minds. Australia’s Tamam Shud guy—the initial news report of him printed a typo of the Persian phrase for ‘it is finished’ (تمام شد), and ever since then, he’s always under the heading of “Taman” Shud, which would be Persian for ‘it became calm’ (طةأن شد) if anything. An obvious typo, not surprising considering how few Australian typesetters happened to know Persian. Even though people interested enough to read about the mystery will learn the correct spelling, the typo has stuck firmly. There have got to be more examples like this? There are lots of cases where breaking news got something [wrong](https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/09/media-was-always-bad-reporting-breaking-news-brief-history/311037/), but soon afterward the truth was established. I’m looking for initial errors that persist for many years, even despite later corrections. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/2 "2017-08-18T21:45:49Z")
Speaking of typos, I was trying to type “طمأن شد” but missed the edit window. Since the newspaper was Australian, it may be possible that from Indonesia they’d come across the common Malay word _taman_ meaning ‘garden’, which is used in various place names, and subconsciously remembered that. Just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/3 "2017-08-18T22:29:29Z")
General (and later President) Ulysses S. Grant’s name is a misnomer, as he was born Hiram Ulysses Grant. When he was nominated into West Point, the U.S. military academy, his name was erroneously given as Ulysses Simpson Grant. He just went with it. Also, it is common knowledge that spinach is a great source of iron. The proof? A typo in a study done in the 1870s, which put the decimal point in the wrong place. In fact, spinach has about as much iron as a leafy green vegetable could expect. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/4 "2017-08-18T22:37:51Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > Also, it is common knowledge that spinach is a great source of iron. The proof? A typo in a study done in the 1870s, which put the decimal point in the wrong place. In fact, spinach has about as much iron as a leafy green vegetable could expect. So Popeye got it all wrong then… Or did he? It seems that the decimal point typo is a myth and Popeye ate spinach for the vitamin A. > [@](#): > > According to the work of Mike Sutton in 2010, the original error was not due to a misplaced decimal point, but more likely the result of bad scientific practice including specimen contamination, and the use of charcoal in heating. Furthermore, Sutton claims that Popeye wasn’t eating the spinach for its iron content anyway, but for its Vitamin A content, or at least he was according to his creator, E.C. Segar. And you’d imagine he’d know. Vitamin A is important for growth and development, so would help to keep Popeye strong! > > [http://www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/exploring-science/the-great-popeye-spinach-decimal-point-myth](http://www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/exploring-science/the-great-popeye-spinach-decimal-point-myth) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/5 "2017-08-19T01:14:22Z")
When Jayne Mansfield was killed in a car accident, the top of the car had been sheared off, responders found blonde hair tangled up in the wreckage, and thought she had been decapitated. In fact, the tangled hair was a wig, and Mansfield’s head was still firmly attached to her body. That hasn’t stopped people from still believing the original reports. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/6 "2017-08-19T03:02:21Z")
Everyone knows the ‘tongue tastebud map’, with its clearly defined areas for sweet, salty, sour and bitter receptors. It was ‘invented’ by researchers looking at a study done in 1901 by a German scientist, and misinterpreting the results. In fact, the tastebud map was pretty much debunked by the 1930s. Nevertheless, it was still accepted (still is by some people), and I certainly did the ‘touch different parts of the tongue with a cotton bud dipped in various tasting substances’ at school in the 70s. No wonder it didn’t work for me (I thought I had a faulty tongue!). Your tastebuds are scattered all over your tongue (and mouth), with the different receptors found everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/7 "2017-08-19T16:52:45Z")
Carrots improve your eyesight. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/8 "2017-08-19T18:08:59Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > Carrots improve your eyesight. I don’t think this counts. It’s not based on a news report but rather the result of deliberate propaganda from the RAF in WWII. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/9 "2017-08-19T18:19:00Z")
Everybody “knows” the normal human body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Except that this is unduly precise (the 19th-century study the figure came from gave the temperature in Celsius, rounded to the nearest whole degree); and [there have been more accurate studies since then](http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2015/08/the_average_body_temperature_is_not_986_degrees.html) that place the average at more like 98.2; and what’s actually _normal_ varies from person to person (and time to time). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/10 "2017-08-19T18:19:18Z")
urban legend says Mama Cass choked to death on a sandwich. She actually died of heart failure in her sleep. Trivia - 4 years later in 78 Keith Moon died in the same London apartment. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/11 "2017-08-19T19:25:01Z")
Intial reports of Elvis Presley’s death had paramedics finding him sitting on his toilet when he died which has lead to decades of jokes. In actuality, he was sitting on the toilet priot to his death, then had massive chest pains which caused him to get up and then collapse on his bathroom floor in a fetal position as he died. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/12 "2017-08-19T19:28:27Z")
sopranos had a guy die on the toilet , I wonder if they did that based on the elvis story. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/13 "2017-08-19T19:32:27Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > sopranos had a guy die on the toilet , I wonder if they did that based on the elvis story. Lots of people die on a toilet, though. Straining to have a bowel movement can cause fatal cerebral hemorrhages and equally fatal cardiac arrhythmias. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/14 "2017-08-19T19:46:21Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Lots of people die on a toilet, though. Straining to have a bowel movement can cause fatal cerebral hemorrhages and equally fatal cardiac arrhythmias. :eek: Eat your vegetables, folks. Qadgop, not that I disbelieve you, but do you have a cite for how common it is? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/15 "2017-08-19T19:51:14Z")
How about the “streak of light” up to TWA 800? Not sure if that would count or not. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/16 "2017-08-19T20:22:35Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Qadgop, not that I disbelieve you, but do you have a cite for how common it is? Not sure how common, but it’s a well-documented phenomenon. Here’s some info, including frequency. Consider this article: [Commode Cardia—Death by Valsalva Maneuver: A Case Series](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1556-4029.13196/full) > [@](#): > > The Valsalva maneuver is used in clinical medicine for the diagnosis and/or treatment of various cardiovascular conditions. It can also be used in activities of daily living, such as defecation. Due to the cardiovascular effects produced during the Valsalva maneuver, it may be contraindicated in certain medical conditions and could be a trigger of sudden cardiac death. The incidence and prevalence of death following Valsalva maneuver in the presence of underlying cardiovascular disease, or “commode cardia,” has not been examined. In 2012, the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office (Detroit, MI) investigated 21 deaths that occurred on the toilet, fourteen of which were due to cardiovascular disease. In another 31 deaths in the bathroom due to cardiovascular disease, the possibility that the decedent defecated immediately prior to death could not be excluded. Hence, the incidence of commode cardia in this population ranges from 2.3 to 7.4% of all cardiovascular-related deaths. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2017, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/17 "2017-08-19T20:51:19Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > How about the “streak of light” up to TWA 800? Not sure if that would count or not. Conspiracy theorists pitch their tents on confused initial reports, because it lends their nonsense a legitimacy it wouldn’t otherwise have to be able to say “Real news media say this! The news said it! I’m just reporting the news!” even though they proceed to not report anything the news said after those first few moments, or anything people who were there at the time said. Because apparently, an organization which can commit a huge crime and get away with it can’t control the news about the crime from the first moment, but can control it completely thereafter. It’s part of the larger practice of anomaly-hunting, or trying to find flaws by ignoring all evidence except that which you can nitpick and find fault with. It _seems_ like actual research, in that they can produce prodigious documents full of supposed flaws in things people actually said, but poke too hard at their prodding and it falls down into a mass of misunderstandings, taking confusion as gospel, and outright lying about what people said or did. [This sarcastic list has a few specific examples of this from 9/11 Troofers](http://www.sawyerhome.net/whatilearned.html) although they certainly didn’t invent it. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2017, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/18 "2017-08-20T08:47:34Z")
That the vietnam war ended in January 27, 1973 with south vietnam protected ? ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2017, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/19 "2017-08-20T09:07:28Z")
Watergate scandal was far far beyond the Watergate buildings, and so should be called “the Nixon scandal”. We know what Richard Nixon did… So in a way the initial report of the Watergate scandal has erronesously and misleadingly stuck to label the whole scandal. People still ask what the name Watergate applied to. As if that was it. Nixon recorded anyone anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2017, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008/20 "2017-08-20T09:25:01Z")
You certainly have that about Dr Charles Drew, who improved blood plasma transfusions, dying because of segregation laws that refused him service. It is cited in a “M_A_SH” episode and apparently still cited today. Yet as the Master pointed out in 1989, Dr Drew received the best care possible and was only refused a transfusion because his injuries made it so a transfusion would just kill him quicker. Sadly, his injuries were too severe [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1092/did-the-black-doctor-who-invented-blood-plasma-die-because-white-doctors-wouldnt-treat-him](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1092/did-the-black-doctor-who-invented-blood-plasma-die-because-white-doctors-wouldnt-treat-him) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-initial-reports-made-goofs-that-stuck-ever-after/794008.md?page=2)