Fact or fiction?

A collection of Outlook’s favorite recently debunked myths.

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Myth: Gingrich is an academic. John Pitney says, "A typical Gingrich work is full of aphorisms and historical references — and devoid of the hallmarks of academic research: rigor, nuance and consideration of alternative views." Five myths about Newt Gingrich

DARON DEAN / REUTERS

Myth: Ronald Reagan was a bad actor. Actually, biographer Edmund Morris says Reagan "was transformed into a superb actor when he took on the roles of governor of California, presidential candidate and president of the United States." Five myths about Ronald Reagan

Frank Johnston / The Washington Post

Myth: Betsy Ross made the first American flag. Marc Leepson says the "iconic 1893 painting of Ross sitting in her Philadelphia parlor with the sun beaming down on the flag in her lap is a scene invented by Charles H. Weisgerber, the artist and entrepreneur who profited from the Betsy Ross legend." Five myths about the American flag

/ AP

Myth: The south seceded over states' rights. James W. Loewen says "Confederates opposed states’ rights — that is, the right of Northern states not to support slavery." Here, a third-grader dresses as a confederate soldier at the Manassas Museum Camp. Five myths about why the South seceded

Pouya Dianat / The Washington Post

Myth: Lincoln was gay. Harold Holzer says the 16th president was attracted to women and "was a regular customer in prairie brothels before his marriage at age 33." Five myths about Abraham Lincoln

Gerald Martineau/The Washington Post / The Washington Post

Myth: Ninety percent of what Planned Parenthood does is provide abortions. Former Planned Parenthood affiliate chief executive Clare Coleman "Planned Parenthood’s abortion care represents 3 percent of its medical services." Here, members of Planned Parenthood rally in Washington on April 7. Five myths about Planned Parenthood

JOSHUA ROBERTS / REUTERS

Myth: U.S. civil liberties were decimated after the attacks. Brian Michael Jenkins says "The 9/11 attacks did lead to some expansion of executive authority ... [but] Congress pushed back on the Bush administration’s warrant-less wiretapping program and in 2008 restored judicial oversight." Five myths about 9/11

/ AFP PHOTO/NTV

Myth: Mormons practice polygamy. Joanna Brooks says "members who marry more than one spouse are excommunicated, but ultra-orthodox splinter groups continue the practice." Pictured: Washington's temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Five myths about Mormonism

Sarah L. Voisin / The Washington Post

Myth: The biggest problem with nuclear energy is safety. According to Michael A. Levi, "the biggest challenge to sustainable nuclear energy hasn’t been safety, but cost." Here, a young evacuee is screened at a shelter for leaked radiation from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan. Five myths about nuclear energy

Wally Santana / AP

Myth: The debt ceiling is an effective way to control spending and deficits. According to Bruce Bartlett, raising the debt limit is about paying for past expenses, not controlling future ones." Pictured: Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) at the Capitol on Dec. 13. Five myths about the debt ceiling

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Myth: People in poor neighborhoods lack acces to fresh fruits and vegetables. Katherine Mangu-Ward says "farmers markets, often overlooked in surveys of rich and poor neighborhoods alike, have tripled since 1994." Here, a street vendor sells fresh vegetables at the streets of Kathmandu. Five myths about healthy eating

REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar / REUTERS

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 21: Statues on display on the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden in The Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on May 21, 2013 in London, England. The Chelsea Flower Show run by the RHS celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Photos of the day

Chelsea Flower Show, face transplant in Poland, Oklahoma residents cope with tornado aftermath and more.

Lea Bessinger salvages a picture of Jesus as she and her son Josh Bessinger sort through the rubble of the elder Bessinger's tornado-ravaged home Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening an entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Tornado near Oklahoma City causes more damage

Rescue workers are searching for survivors after a twister carved a long path of destruction in a suburb of Oklahoma City. It was part of the...

ANNAPOLIS, MD - MAY 20: The Herndon Monument Climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the United States Naval Academy. The plebes climb to the top of the lard-covered 21 foot high monument and remove the 'dixie cup' hat at the top replacing it with an upperclassman's hat. After completing this, the freshmen are called 'fourth class midshipmen.' This class completed the task in 1 hour 32 minutes and 43 seconds. The hat was placed by Patrick Lien from Orlando. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

The Herndon Climb

The Herndon Monument climb is the traditional culmination of plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy.

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 21: Ken Marino, Erica Oyama, Ben Stiller, Chris Harrison, and Mike Rosenstein aceept the Webby Award for 'Burning Love' at the 17th Annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on May 21, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Webby Awards)

Eye on entertainment

Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Emma Stone, 2 Chainz, Tyrese Gibson, Susan Boyle and more.

This combination of Associated Press photos shows left, a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., in ruins on Tuesday, May 4, 1999, after a tornado flattened many houses and buildings in central Oklahoma, and right, flattened houses in Moore on Monday, May 20, 2013. Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. (AP Photo)

Okla. tornado loosely followed path of 1999 twister

Monday’s powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the area in May 1999.

A Burrowing owl tries to perch on a protective rope in a public park in Cooper City, Fla. Monday, May 20, 2013 as rain falls. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

Animal views

Fun and fascinating creatures around the world.

FILE - In this undated publicity file photo, members of the Doors, from left, John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison, pose for a portrait. Manzarek, the keyboardist who was a founding member of The Doors, has died at 74. Publicist Heidi Robinson-Fitzgerald says in a news release that Manzarek died Monday, May 20, 2013, at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, surrounded by his family. (AP Photo, File)

Ray Manzarek, founding member of the Doors, dies at 74

Manzarek co-founded the Doors after meeting then-poet Jim Morrison in California. The band went on to become one of the most successful rock-and-roll...

A man walks on sulphur and mineral salt formations near Dallol in the Danakil Depression, northern Ethiopia April 22, 2013. The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the hottest and harshest environments on earth, with an average annual temperature of 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 Celsius). For centuries, merchants have travelled there with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted and shaped into slabs, then loaded onto the animals before being transported back across the desert so that it can be sold around the country. Picture taken April 22, 2013. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola (ETHIOPIA - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 2 OF 30 FOR PACKAGE 'ETHIOPIA'S ANCIENT SALT TRAIL'
SEARCH 'DANAKIL DEPRESSION' FOR ALL

Ethiopia’s salt trail

For centuries, merchants have traveled to Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression with caravans of camels to collect salt from the surface of the vast desert basin. The mineral is extracted...

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