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History's Oddities

142 curious, true stories.

Illustration of a vintage-style portrait of a Japanese engineer in 1945History's OdditiesHe Survived Hiroshima and Went Home to Nagasaki. Three Days Later, It Happened AgainIllustration of emus running across an Australian wheat field in vintage styleHistory's OdditiesIn 1932, Soldiers With Machine Guns Took on 20,000 Emus. The Emus Came Out AheadAn old painting-style scene of a crowded town square with people dancing wildlyHistory's OdditiesIn 1518, a Woman Started Dancing in the Street. Within Weeks, Dozens More Couldn't StopIllustration of a portrait of Napoleon in uniform beside a measuring stickHistory's OdditiesHistory Remembers Napoleon as a Tiny Man. His Measurements Tell Another Story
Illustration of a vintage Boston street scene with a dark wave of molassesHistory's OdditiesIn 1919, a 25-Foot Wave Swept Through Boston. It Wasn't WaterIllustration of a black and white ship's cat sitting on the deck of a navy shipHistory's OdditiesThe Legend of Unsinkable Sam, the Cat Who Outlived Three Warships, Has a Twist
Illustration of houses being moved on trucks through a snowy townHistory's OdditiesAn Entire Town in Sweden Is Packing Up and Moving. What's Under It Explains WhyIllustration of the Leaning Tower of Pisa under a clear blue skyHistory's OdditiesThe Leaning Tower of Pisa Started Tipping Before It Was Finished. Here's What Went Wrong
Illustration of the River Thames in Victorian London under a hazy, smoky summer skyHistory's OdditiesIn 1858, London's River Smelled So Bad That Parliament Finally Had to ActPainting-style illustration of a medieval church courtroomHistory's OdditiesIn 897, a Pope Dug Up His Predecessor and Put Him on Trial. It Went Badly for BothA dense jungle clearing with an old, worn Japanese army uniform and capHistory's OdditiesWorld War II Ended in 1945. One Soldier in a Philippine Jungle Didn't Stop for 29 YearsIllustration of an ancient library with scrolls on shelves and stone columnsHistory's OdditiesEveryone Remembers the Great Library of Alexandria Burning. History Tells It Differently
Illustration of a vintage boat model with an inflatable deviceHistory's OdditiesAbraham Lincoln Got Stuck on a River One Too Many Times, So He Invented a FixIllustration of a nurse standing on the deck of an early 1900s ocean linerHistory's OdditiesThey Called Her Miss Unsinkable. Her Story Starts on the Titanic and Doesn't End ThereIllustration in a vintage style of soldiers from opposing armies shaking hands in a snowy fieldHistory's OdditiesIn 1914, Enemy Soldiers Climbed Out of Their Trenches on Christmas. Nobody FiredIllustration of a shiny copper-colored Statue of Liberty partly built, surrounded by workersHistory's OdditiesLady Liberty Didn't Arrive Green. Her Famous Color Showed Up Years Later
Illustration of a 1920s Paris street with the Eiffel Tower in the distanceHistory's OdditiesThe Con Man Famous for Selling the Eiffel Tower Twice Only Pulled It Off OnceThe White House under construction, shown in an old engraving styleHistory's OdditiesMany People Think the White House Was Painted to Hide Fire Damage. History Says NoIllustration of a pig on an island farm with soldiers and a ship in the distanceHistory's OdditiesAmerica and Britain Nearly Went to War Over a Pig. The Only Casualty Had Four LegsPainting-style illustration of a narrow old London street engulfed in flames at nightHistory's OdditiesA Baker Woke Up to Smoke on Pudding Lane. Within Days, Most of London Was Ash
Illustration of an early automobile driving along an old English country roadHistory's OdditiesThe First Driver Ever Convicted of Speeding Was Caught by a Policeman on a BicycleIllustration of a Greek statue painted in bright colorsHistory's OdditiesThose Gleaming White Greek Statues Looked Nothing Like That When They Were NewA vintage-style scene of a Kentucky farmhouse under a strange, cloudy skyHistory's OdditiesIn 1876, Chunks of Meat Rained Down on a Kentucky Farm. The Likeliest Culprit Is GrossIllustration of a large brown bear carrying a crate with soldiersHistory's OdditiesIt Wasn't a General Who Kept This Bear. He Joined the Army Himself and Made Corporal
Illustration of an old map of early America lit by candles on a wooden deskHistory's OdditiesA Pennsylvania Town Renamed Itself to Become America's Capital. It Came So CloseIllustration of a 1960s rocket lifting off from a launch pad in a cloud of smokeHistory's OdditiesNASA's First Shot at Venus Lasted About Five Minutes, All Because of One Tiny MarkIllustration of a snowy pine forest below a vintage propeller airplane at nightHistory's OdditiesHis Parachute Burned, So He Jumped Anyway From 18,000 Feet. Then Came the LandingPainting-style illustration of a harvest table set outdoors among autumn treesHistory's OdditiesThe 1621 Feast We Call the First Thanksgiving Looked Very Different From Our Holiday Table
Illustration of an antique set of dentures with metal springs resting on a red velvet clothHistory's OdditiesSchoolbooks Said George Washington Had Wooden Teeth. The Truth Is Much StrangerOld-painting-style illustration of a Dutch market filled with tulipsHistory's OdditiesOne Tulip Bulb Once Cost More Than 10 Years of a Craftsman's Pay. Then February CameAn empty two-masted sailing ship drifting on the open sea under a gray skyHistory's OdditiesIn 1872, Sailors Found a Ship Drifting at Sea. Everyone Aboard Had Simply VanishedIllustration of stacks of old leather-bound booksHistory's OdditiesThe Library of Congress Owes Jefferson a Lot, Just Not for the Reason Most People Think
Illustration of an old calendar page with crossed-out daysHistory's OdditiesIn 1752, Americans Went to Bed on September 2 and Woke Up on September 14Illustration of a crowded 1890s city street packed with horse-drawn carriagesHistory's OdditiesThe Famous 1894 Warning About Cities Buried in Manure Has a Problem: Nobody Can Find ItIllustration of a Victorian-era woman in a long dress giving a passionate speech from a stageHistory's OdditiesA Woman Ran for President in 1872, Nearly 50 Years Before Women Won the BallotIllustration of a Pony Express rider galloping across an open prairie under a big skyHistory's OdditiesThe Pony Express Became a Legend of the Old West. It Barely Lasted a Year and a Half
Illustration of colorful auroras glowing over a telegraph line in the 1850sHistory's OdditiesIn 1859 the Night Sky Glowed So Bright That Only the Brightest Stars Showed ThroughAn empty cracked road with smoke rising from the ground in a quiet Pennsylvania townHistory's OdditiesA Small-Town Trash Fire in 1962 Never Went Out. It's Still Burning Under CentraliaIllustration of a weathered wooden post with a word carved into it, deep in a forestHistory's Oddities115 Colonists Vanished and Left One Word Carved on a Post. The Clues Are Still ComingIllustration of a portrait of Abraham Lincoln holding a handwritten letterHistory's OdditiesLincoln's Famous Beard Started With a Letter From an 11-Year-Old Girl in New York
Illustration of a vintage hospital ward with rows of beds and nurses in white uniformsHistory's OdditiesIt Infected a Third of the World in 1918. Then, for Decades, People Barely Spoke of ItIllustration of a sailing ship with a woman pirate at the helmHistory's OdditiesAnne Bonny Joined a Pirate Crew and Escaped the Gallows. The Real Story Beats the LegendA large, deep blue diamond resting on dark velvet under soft lightHistory's OdditiesThe Hope Diamond Is Famous for a Deadly Curse. The Story Started in the NewspapersIllustration of a man planting trees in a sandy fieldHistory's OdditiesHe Started With 20 Bamboo Seedlings on a Bare Sandbar. Now Tigers and Rhinos Live There
Illustration of the Great Wall of China winding over green hillsHistory's OdditiesThe Great Wall Is Over 13,000 Miles Long, Yet Astronauts Struggle to Spot ItIllustration of marathon runners on a dusty country road in 1904 with an early automobileHistory's OdditiesThe 1904 Olympic Marathon Had a Car Ride, Rat Poison, and a Nap in an OrchardIllustration of a Viking warrior wearing a plain round iron helmetHistory's OdditiesEveryone Pictures Vikings in Horned Helmets. Archaeologists Tell a Different StoryIllustration of an old Paris boulevard in the style of an early daguerreotype photographHistory's OdditiesThe First Person Ever Photographed Had No Idea. He Was Just Standing Still Long Enough
Illustration of a 1830s frontier general store counter with bottles, barrels, and a wooden shelfHistory's OdditiesBefore the White House, One Famous President Poured Drinks in a Frontier StoreIllustration of a golden retriever wearing a tiny sash in a small townHistory's OdditiesA Golden Retriever Won a Mayor's Race in California. His Rivals Included Two CatsA man in rough clothes planting young apple seedlings in an old orchardHistory's OdditiesJohnny Appleseed Was a Real Man, and His Apples Weren't Quite What the Storybooks SayIllustration of 1920s women painting watch dials at long factory tablesHistory's OdditiesThey Painted Glowing Watch Dials for Pennies. Their Courage Changed U.S. Workplaces
Illustration of a vintage mailman carrying a bundleHistory's OdditiesIn 1914, a Five-Year-Old Rode the Mail Train With Stamps on Her CoatIllustration of musicians playing violins on the deck of a ship at nightHistory's OdditiesAs the Titanic Sank, Eight Musicians Kept Playing. Their Final Song Is Still a MysteryIllustration in the style of an old portrait painting of William Henry Harrison in a dark 19th-century coatHistory's OdditiesHe Gave the Longest Inaugural Speech in History. A Month Later, He Was GoneIllustration of a Victorian Christmas card showing a family raising a toast around a tableHistory's OdditiesThe World's First Christmas Card Was Printed in 1843. Its Picture Ruffled a Few Feathers
Illustration of a 1904 World's Fair stall selling waffles and ice creamHistory's OdditiesThe 1904 World's Fair Made Ice Cream Cones Famous. It Didn't Invent ThemInflatable tanks parked in a field, drawn in a vintage wartime styleHistory's OdditiesIn World War II, a Unit of Artists Went to War With Inflatable Tanks. It WorkedIllustration of a vintage square board game laid out on a wooden tableHistory's OdditiesThe Real Inventor of Monopoly Was a Woman, and Her Game Had the Opposite MessageIllustration of snowy Alaskan mountains with a historic treaty document in the foregroundHistory's OdditiesAmerica Bought Alaska for About 2 Cents an Acre. Why Russia Agreed Is the Real Story
Illustration of a calm blue sea with a vintage propeller airplane flying overheadHistory's OdditiesThe Bermuda Triangle Has Swallowed Ships for Decades. Investigators Found Something OddIllustration of a medieval town with people laughingHistory's OdditiesThe Oldest Known April Fools' Prank Involves a Nobleman, a Servant, and a Pointless ErrandA vintage-style scene of a wooden barn at night with a dairy cow and a glowing lanternHistory's OdditiesA Cow Took the Blame for the Great Chicago Fire. Then a Reporter Made a ConfessionIllustration of a vintage Cadillac in a cemetery settingHistory's OdditiesThe Chicago Funeral Where a Man Was Laid to Rest Behind the Wheel of a 'Cadillac'
Illustration of a misty Icelandic harbor with old ships at dawnHistory's OdditiesBritain Invaded a Neutral Country in 1940. The Local Police Helped Manage the CrowdIllustration of an ancient stone temple with a bronze coin-operated water dispenserHistory's OdditiesThe Earliest Known Vending Machine Is Nearly 2,000 Years Old, and It Didn't Sell SnacksIllustration of a pirate wearing an eye patch on the deck of a wooden shipHistory's OdditiesThat Famous 'Real Reason' Pirates Wore Eye Patches Has One Big ProblemIllustration of a crowded train platform at night in the 1860sHistory's OdditiesA Stranger Pulled Lincoln's Son From Under a Moving Train. His Last Name Was Booth
Vintage-style illustration of a giant silver airship floating over a green field at duskHistory's OdditiesThe Hindenburg Burned in Under a Minute. Yet Most People On Board SurvivedIllustration of a Renaissance marble statue of MosesHistory's OdditiesMichelangelo Carved Moses With Two Horns on His Head. A Single Hebrew Word Explains ItThe bakery of an early 1900s ocean liner, with loaves of bread on wooden racksHistory's OdditiesThe Titanic's Icy Water Killed in Minutes. The Ship's Baker Said He Lasted HoursIllustration of an old fort on a tropical coast with cannons facing the seaHistory's OdditiesThe Shortest War in Recorded History Was Over Before Most People Finish Their Coffee
Illustration of a vintage bowling laneHistory's OdditiesThe White House Has Had Its Own Bowling Lanes for Decades. Two Presidents Are Behind ItIllustration of a meatpacker standing beside wooden barrels stamped U.S.History's OdditiesThe Real Uncle Sam Didn't Wear a Top Hat. He Stamped Barrels for the ArmyIllustration of an old-fashioned pharmacy soda fountain with glass bottles and a marble counterHistory's OdditiesCoca-Cola Started Out at a Drugstore Counter, Sold for 5 Cents as a Cure-AllIllustration of a full Moon rising over a quiet 1950s desert landscape at duskHistory's OdditiesIn 1958, the U.S. Drew Up a Secret Plan for the Moon. Carl Sagan Helped Run the Numbers
Illustration of a wooden barrel floating near the edge of Niagara FallsHistory's OdditiesThe First Person to Survive Niagara Falls in a Barrel Was a 63-Year-Old SchoolteacherMen uncovering a giant stone figure in a muddy pit on a farm in 1869History's OdditiesIn 1869, Men Digging a Well Found a 10-Foot Stone Giant. Crowds Lined Up to See ItIllustration of the white marble Taj Mahal reflected in a long pool at sunriseHistory's OdditiesAn Emperor Lost His Wife and Spent 22 Years Building Her a Tomb Made of MarbleIllustration of a 1920s hospital nursery with rows of bassinets and soft window lightHistory's OdditiesNo President Before Him Was Born in a Hospital. His Birthplace Had a Family Connection
Illustration of an old handwritten manuscript with drawings of strange plants and unknown writingHistory's OdditiesTop Codebreakers From Two World Wars Tried to Read This Old Book. All of Them FailedIllustration of a squirrel on a power lineHistory's OdditiesOne Small Squirrel Knocked Out Power to the Nasdaq and Disrupted 20 Million TradesA Texas flag flying above the stone walls of a historic fort under a blue skyHistory's OdditiesFor Nearly 10 Years, Texas Was a Separate Nation With Its Own Embassies AbroadIllustration of a portrait of a Hawaiian queen in a palaceHistory's OdditiesAmerica Has Only One Royal Palace. Its Last Queen Was Held Prisoner in an Upstairs Bedroom
Illustration of ancient stone ruins beneath clear blue shallow waterHistory's OdditiesSwimmers in Greece Float Right Over a 5,000-Year-Old Town, Streets and AllIllustration of an empty space on a museum wall where a famous painting once hung in 1911History's OdditiesThe Mona Lisa Vanished From the Louvre in 1911. Its Disappearance Made It a SuperstarIllustration of the Liberty Bell glowing in soft museum lightHistory's OdditiesThe Liberty Bell's Famous Crack Has a Backstory. Much of What We Were Told Is ShakyIllustration of a woman running in a 1960s road race as spectators watchHistory's OdditiesWomen Ran Marathons Long Before 1972. They Just Weren't Allowed to Do It Officially
Vintage-style illustration of a Victorian London street with horse carriages and a tall gas-lit signal postHistory's OdditiesLondon Installed the World's First Traffic Light in 1868. Weeks Later, It Blew UpIllustration of a tall building in a snowy Alaskan townHistory's OdditiesAlmost an Entire Alaska Town Lives in One 14-Story Building. The Only Road In Is a TunnelIllustration of giant wooden beer vats bursting in an old London brewery, vintage styleHistory's OdditiesIn 1814, a Giant Vat Burst and a 15-Foot Wave of Beer Swept Through London StreetsIllustration of an oversized vintage claw-foot bathtub in a grand old roomHistory's OdditiesPresident Taft Is Famous for Getting Stuck in a Bathtub. It Never Happened
Illustration of a bright flying disc soaring over a sunny green parkHistory's OdditiesThe Man Behind the Modern Frisbee Asked for One Last Flight, and His Family Made It HappenIllustration of an early sketch of a robed statue holding a torch beside the seaHistory's OdditiesBefore Lady Liberty, Her Sculptor Pitched a Giant Torch-Bearer for Egypt's Suez CanalIllustration of the 1903 Wright Flyer lifting off above windswept sand dunesHistory's OdditiesThe First Airplane Flight Was Shorter Than a Jumbo Jet's Wingspan. Then the Wind StruckVintage-style illustration of a mule walking a towpath pulling a wooden canal boat along the Erie CanalHistory's OdditiesCritics Mocked It as 'Clinton's Big Ditch.' It Ended Up Reshaping the Whole Country
Illustration of a woman rowing a small boat near a lighthouseHistory's OdditiesShe Rowed Out in a Snowstorm Without a Coat or Shoes. Two Soldiers Owed Her Their LivesTwo old steam locomotives facing each other on a railroad track in the Utah desert in 1869History's OdditiesThe Golden Spike That Joined America by Rail Didn't Stay in the Ground for LongIllustration of an old ledger book and a quill pen on a wooden deskHistory's OdditiesAmerica's First Census Asked Just Six Questions, and George Washington Doubted the AnswerIllustration of Mount St. Helens erupting with an ash plumeHistory's OdditiesAt 8:32 on a Sunday Morning in 1980, a Mountain in Washington Lost Its Whole North Side
Illustration of workers on scaffolding carving giant stone faces into a mountainHistory's OdditiesMount Rushmore Took 14 Years and 400 Workers. Their First Tool Was DynamiteIllustration of a line of white-topped covered wagons pulled by oxen across a wide golden prairieHistory's OdditiesAbout 400,000 Pioneers Took the Oregon Trail. Hardly Any of Them Rode in the WagonsIllustration of a towering dust storm rolling toward a lone farmhouse on the 1930s Great PlainsHistory's OdditiesBlack Blizzards Buried the Plains in the 1930s. America Never Farmed the Same Way AgainIllustration of a dim old tunnel with brick arches and a small open-topped rail carHistory's OdditiesBeneath the U.S. Capitol Runs a Maze of Tunnels, and a Train Has Rolled There Since 1909
A wild turkey standing in a sunny forest clearingHistory's OdditiesBen Franklin Is Famous for Wanting the Turkey as America's Bird. He Never Proposed ItIllustration of a sunny classroom with a space shuttle poster on the wallHistory's OdditiesMore Than 11,000 Teachers Applied to Fly on the Space Shuttle. Her Story Still InspiresIllustration of a 1960s family gathered around a black-and-white television watching the Moon landingHistory's OdditiesOne in Five People on Earth Watched Armstrong's First Step. The Picture Took a Wild RouteIllustration of a futuristic white tower and giant sphere surrounded by crowds at a 1939 fairHistory's OdditiesIn 1939, Millions Lined Up to See America in 1960. Some of What They Saw Came True
Illustration of a vintage race car on a dirt trackHistory's OdditiesAmerica's Favorite Stock Car Races Trace Back to Bootleggers Outrunning the LawA happy dog running across the green South Lawn of the White HouseHistory's OdditiesSome White House Dogs Stayed Nearly Eight Years. One Even Got His Own Memorial StatueIllustration of a shipyard with a cargo ship under constructionHistory's OdditiesOne Liberty Ship Hit the Water Just 4 Days After Work Began. There Was a CatchIllustration of a red vintage single-engine airplane flying low over the oceanHistory's OdditiesShe Once Called Herself Baggage on an Atlantic Flight. Four Years Later She Flew It Alone
Illustration of a classic 1950s car parked beside a roadside diner on Route 66History's OdditiesRoute 66 Got Its Most Famous Nickname From a Novel, Not a Road SignIllustration of a patchwork quilt hanging on a wooden fence near a farmhouseHistory's OdditiesFour Large Hams and Two Small Hams. The Underground Railroad's Real Codes Were CleverIllustration of the Mayflower sailing on a rough gray sea under stormy skiesHistory's OdditiesThe Mayflower Was Never Supposed to Land in Massachusetts. Rough Seas Changed HistoryVintage-style illustration of an old wooden baseball stadium with a packed grandstand under hazy skiesHistory's OdditiesDuring the 1918 World Series, a Band Played a Song That Changed Sports Forever
Illustration of an antique wooden swivel chairHistory's OdditiesJefferson May Have Drafted the Declaration While Turning in a Chair He Rebuilt HimselfAn old horse-drawn wagon carrying a large bell along a forest road in autumnHistory's OdditiesIn 1777, the Liberty Bell Was Smuggled Out of Philadelphia Under a Pile of ManureIllustration of streetlights shaped like chocolate kisses along a small-town streetHistory's OdditiesA Candy Maker With a Fourth-Grade Education Built an Entire Town Around ChocolateIllustration of a 1920s parade with elephants on a city streetHistory's OdditiesBefore the Giant Balloons, Macy's Parade Marched Real Zoo Animals Down the Street
Illustration of a small bear cub wearing a ranger hatHistory's OdditiesA Burned Cub Clung to a Tree in a 1950 Wildfire. He Became America's Most Famous BearIllustration of the curved concrete Hoover Dam rising between canyon walls with the Colorado River belowHistory's OdditiesThe Hoover Dam Was Finished 2 Years Early. Its Dedication Got a Last-Minute Time ChangeIllustration of wooden toy logs stacked into a small log cabin on a playroom rugHistory's OdditiesThe Toy Log Cabins Kids Built for a Century Began With a Hotel Halfway Around the WorldIllustration of a 1960s football stadium with large sections of empty seatsHistory's OdditiesThe First Super Bowl Left About 33,000 Seats Empty. Fans Balked at the $12 Tickets
Construction workers balancing on steel beams high above the New York City skylineHistory's OdditiesThe Empire State Building Went Up in Just 410 Days. The Secret Was Pure OrganizationIllustration of autographed vintage envelopes with space stamps spread across a wooden deskHistory's OdditiesThe Apollo 11 Crew Couldn't Get Life Insurance, So They Came Up With a Clever Backup PlanIllustration of a teenage boy guiding a horse-drawn plow across a field in the 1920sHistory's OdditiesA Teenager Plowing a Field in Idaho Pictured How Television Could Work. He Was RightIllustration of 1931 construction workers gathered around a small decorated Christmas treeHistory's OdditiesThe Famous Rockefeller Center Tree Began With Workers, a Small Fir, and Some Tin Cans
Illustration of a deep pit on a wooded islandHistory's OdditiesTreasure Hunters Have Dug Here for Over 200 Years. Skeptics Have a Simpler AnswerA young soldier in an Army uniform carrying a guitar case, with a military post in the backgroundHistory's OdditiesElvis Could Have Spent His Army Years Singing for the Troops. He Picked a Tougher PathIllustration of a family listening anxiously to a radioHistory's OdditiesThe Night Martians 'Invaded' New Jersey. The Famous Panic May Have Been Mostly HypeIllustration of the orange Golden Gate Bridge rising out of thick fogHistory's OdditiesThe Navy Wanted the Golden Gate Bridge Painted in Black and Yellow Stripes
Illustration of a 1940s woman factory worker in a red bandana and blue work shirtHistory's OdditiesThe Famous “We Can Do It!” Poster Wasn't Called Rosie the Riveter During World War IIIllustration of a black Model T Ford driving down a dusty country roadHistory's OdditiesThe Model T Kept Getting Cheaper for Years. Henry Ford's Factory Trick Changed AmericaIllustration of a bouquet of white and red carnations on a wooden tableHistory's OdditiesShe Spent Years Creating Mother's Day. Then She Spent the Rest of Her Life Fighting ItIllustration of the Lincoln Memorial at dusk with warm light glowing on the seated marble statue insideHistory's OdditiesThe Giant Lincoln Statue in Washington Was First Planned at Barely Half Its Size
Illustration of an old presidential inauguration in a snowy capitalHistory's OdditiesHe Gave the Longest Inaugural Speech in U.S. History. He Was Dead 31 Days LaterA family playing a board game together at a kitchen table by warm lamplightHistory's OdditiesIn the Darkest Years of the Depression, Families Paid to Pretend They Were RichIllustration of an old Texas coastal town with wrecked buildings after a hurricaneHistory's OdditiesAmerica's Deadliest Natural Disaster Hit a Booming Texas City With Little WarningIllustration of the Brooklyn Bridge in the 1880sHistory's OdditiesWhen the Chief Engineer Fell Ill, His Wife Quietly Took Charge of the Brooklyn Bridge
Illustration of a gold nugget glinting in a shallow riverbedHistory's OdditiesA Carpenter Building a Sawmill Spotted Something Shiny in 1848. It Changed AmericaIllustration of a homemade American flag with 50 stars lying on a school desk beside scissors and threadHistory's OdditiesA Popular Story Says a Teen Designed the 50-Star Flag for Class. The Records Disagree