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 John Pitney says, "A typical Gingrich work is full of aphorisms and historical references — and devoid of the hallmarks of academic research: rigor, nuance and consideration of alternative views."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

epa03714567 A Thai Buddhist family take an offering of lotus flowers to pay respects to a giant Buddha surrounded by more than 1,000 smaller Buddha statues at a Buddhism Park, on Vesak or Visakha Bucha day, in Nakhon Nayok, north of Bangkok, Thailand, 24 May 2013. Buddhist devotees throughout the world offer blessings at temples to mark one of the holiest days in Buddhism, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and the death of Buddha. EPA/BARBARA WALTON

Photos of the day

Buddhist Wesak festival, prisoners-of-war reunion, bridge collapse, world’s largest Lego model and more.

A portion of the Interstate 5 bridge is submerged after it collapsed into the Skagit River dumping vehicles and people into the water in Mount Vernon, Wash., Thursday, May 23, 2013 according to the Washington State Patrol. (AP Photo/Skagit Valley Herald, Frank Varga)

I-5 bridge collapse in Washington state dumps vehicles, passengers into river

No fatalities reported; collapse over Skagit River shuts down main route between Seattle and Canada.

SILVER SPRING MD: MAY 18
from left to right, Bodybuilders Jorge Villatoro, Sidney Bumbrey, Eric Holmes and Ron Coleman show off their most muscular poses for the judges at the 2013 Musclemania - Capital Tournament of Champions Contest held at the Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center in Silver Spring, Maryland on May 18, 2013.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Flexing their muscles

Dozens of bodybuilders came out to Silver Spring to compete in the 2013 Musclemania Capital Tournament of Champions.

epa03714543 US actress Carmen Electra arrives for the Life Ball gala, at the airport Schwechat, in Vienna, Austria, 24 May 2013. The 21th Life Ball, an annual fundraising charity event for HIV and Aids projects, takes place at the Vienna City-Hall on 25 May 2013. EPA/HERBERT NEUBAUER

Eye on entertainment

Carmen Electra, Barbara Eden, Sharon Stone, Goldie Hawn, Jaden Smith and more.

A police forensics officer investigates a crime scene where one man was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 22, 2013. British Prime Minister David Cameron has called a meeting of his government's emergency Cobra security committee after the killing of a man in south London, his office said on Wednesday. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Terrorism cited in London cleaver attack

Two assailants hacked to death a British soldier on a busy southeast London neighborhood street Wednesday afternoon before delivering an apparent...

MOORE, OK - MAY 24: A 'For Sale' sign hangs in a tree in a storm ravaged neighborhood on May 24, 2013 in Moore, Oklahoma. The tornado of EF5 strength and two miles wide touched down May 20 killing at least 24 people and leaving behind extensive damage to homes and businesses. U.S. President Barack Obama promised federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Assessing tornado damage in Oklahoma

Amid great destruction, residents of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore begin to assess the severity of the twister that hit Monday.

WASHINGTON DC: MAY 22
Contestant Travis Rumans, 31 dances with his beloved glow sticks for talent at Penn Social in Washington, DC on May 22, 2013. The contestants help raise over $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
The Mr. DC pageant is a fundraising event to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The qualifications for the Mr. District of Columbia finalists is that they must live, work and attend school in the District of Columbia between the ages of 21-30 who are unmarried, intelligent, and dapper in a suit.
(Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Mr. D.C. Pageant contestants compete for charity

Contestants in the Mr. D.C. Pageant, a fundraising event, helped raise more than $15,000 for the Children’s National Medical Center.

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)

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