What is The Mandela Effect?

The Origin of the Mandela Effect

Can the past change? It sounds incredible, but scientists are debating exactly this, with various theories ranging from quantum mechanics to the many-worlds interpretation. If it could, how would it appear to us? The internet is buzzing with wild ideas, so it's time to go over where they originated, and consider in detail what exactly might be causing it.

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Historical Events  Geography
Historical Events  Geography

HE-1643-0485

A: 48.54%Affected: 48.54%
14950
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Long Island

Alternate:
Long Island is an island

Current:
Long Island is not an island

Long Island

The earliest records of Long Island date to 1643 where several native American tribes had settled there for some time, farming the land and fishing to sustain themselves. Each tribe lived peacefully in their own area and had good writing skills, which provides historians with written documentation of their life in these times.

With the arrival of the Europeans, everything changed. Henry Hudson landed at Coney Island in 1609, and Adriaen Brock in 1615 is generally recognised as the first person to declare Long Island was in fact an Island. 

This changed in 1985, when in the US Supreme Court it was legally declared to be part of New York State mainland, i.e. not an island, because it is not completely surrounded by water.

The misconception it was an island is perpetuated by the various maps and nomenclature from before and since this date which still calls it one, even though legally it is not.

Historical Events  Geography

HE-2001-0428

A: 77.50%Affected: 77.50%
6388
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
WTC Marriot Hotel

Alternate:
No hotel

Current:
WTC Marriot Hotel

9/11: There was a hotel at the foot of the twin towers

There are many conspiracy theories surrounding the attack on the World Trade Center in September, 2001.

Some of these are being pointed to as Mandela Effects, such as the appearance of the towers themselves changing with either vertical or horizontal lines appearing on photographs which some do not remember being there before.

A new one in this regard is what was at the foot of the towers. Clearly visible in many photographs and videos before the attack, as well as a great deal of eyewitness accounts from those who stayed and worked there, is a hotel - The Marriot. Some people, however, are certain there was no hotel there and are calling this another 9/11 Mandela Effect.

Whilst it sounds impossible that an entire hotel in such a prominent place can "suddenly" appear from nowhere, believers are saying, well, that's just how the ME works.

Historical Events  Geography

HE-1974-0416

A: 59.39%Affected: 59.39%
5549
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bermeja Island

Alternate:
Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) was issued a passport in 1974

Current:
Ramesses II (1279-1213 BC) was not issued a passport in 1974

Ramesses II Passport

Sometimes the Mandela Effect is pointed to as explaining historical facts which seem to appear from nowhere, and they are expected to be much more widely known.

One such is the curious fact that Ramesses II was actually issued a passport in 1974, even though he'd been dead for thousands of years.

It was necessary to do this because his 3,000 year old body had to be flown to Paris for repairs, and the legislation in force did not take into account how long ago the individual died.

Historical Events  Geography

HE-15XX-0415

A: 14.76%Affected: 14.76%
13966
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Bermeja Island

Alternate:
The Gulf of Mexico

Current:
Bermeja Island does not exist

Where is Bermeja Island?

There's a curious anomaly regarding an island which appears on maps drawn in the 16th century. Situated off the North coast on the Yucatan Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico, it's called Bermeja Island.

The problem? No one can find it in real life.

Neither a detailed survey in 1997 followed by an extensive one in 2009 conducted by the National Autonomous University of Mexico turned anything up, despite there being a very compelling incentive to do so - oil rights from the 200 mile border surrounding it.

The first mention of the island was on a map published in Madrid in 1539.

Historical Events  Geography

HE-1900-0396

A: 87.16%Affected: 87.16%
7423
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Grand Central _

Alternate:
Grand Central Station

Current:
Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central __ ?

This MMDE is likely to have a logical explanation, but it's persistence is baffling nevertheless. 

Grand Central Station does not exist. It did from 1900 till 1910, after which it changed it's name to Grand Central Terminal.

The odd thing is the old name is still very much recognised the world over - ask anyone outside the US to complete the phrase "Grand Central __" and they'll likely respond with "Station", even if they've never set foot in the US. 

It doesn't help things when current reports still refer to the old name, such as in this example from the New York Times. Although, it's said the old name is still used "affectionately" so they may be doing the same.

Historical Events  Geography

HE-1692-0372

A: 66.80%Affected: 66.80%
19059
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Einstein

Alternate:
Tomato sauce originated in Italy

Current:
Tomato sauce originated in Mexico

Where did tomato sauce originate?

Pizza, Spaghetti, Lasagne, Tortellini... what do they all have in common? Tomato of course! So when you think of where the first tomato sauces came from, you'd be forgiven for assuming it must have been Italy.

However, that's not the case - it was Mexico, and the earliest documented use is a recipe from 1540. This was taken to Spain shortly afterwards by Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscian friar.

The first country to use tomato sauce with pasta was Italy, and that's used in a recipe from 1692, and the first recorded use in France is at the relatively later date of 1807.

Historical Events  Geography

HE-1968-0371

A: 73.37%Affected: 73.37%
17081
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
London Bridge

Alternate:
London

Current:
Arizona

London Bridge is in London, right?

Come on everybody, sing along with the children's nursery rhyme: "London Bridge is falling down, falling down...".

Is there anything to this? It turns out there is. Not to be confused with the equally famous Tower Bridge, distinguished by its, err, twin towers, London Bridge originally had houses and shops built on it and was in poor repair after standing for nearly 150 years since it's construction in 1831. Yes, it really was falling down, and that really is where the nursery rhyme came from.

So the City of London decided a new one was needed, and to fund this would sell the old one. It was bought by Robert P. McCulloch, a US oil magnate who wanted to use it as a tourist attraction to a new city he founded by Lake Havasu, Arizona. There's no truth in the rumor he thought he was buying Tower Bridge, by the way.

The bridge was purchased for $2.46m, disassembled, and was finally opened on 23 September, 1968 in Lake Havasu City.

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