FAKE NEWS: HISTORICAL TIMELINE

63 B.C. 1915 The rumor of the German Corpse 1924 - 1953 2017 A fake news website called The Factory was a major source of Boston Tribune reported that Barack anti-German propaganda during World Communist leaders viewed Obama's mother-in-law would Roman Emperor Augustus War I. Several newspapers with "official disinformation as an effective war receive money from the government Octavian built a campaign of sources" claimed that members of the tactic. Stalin used this tactic to discredit for taking care of her grandchildren, disinformation to support his German military were extracting fat perceived enemies like the United Sasha and Malia. The story reached victory over Marc Antony during from dead soldiers to make soap, food States and the Roman Catholic Church. mainstream media but was quickly the War of the Roman Republic. for animals, and other materials. The weapon of disinformation was also shut down, as it had no evidence and Almost 10 years later, a British general used to falsely frame civilians, which was completely false. The fake news admitted that he made up the story. resulted in many innocent deaths. site has since been taken down.

1475 1874 1927 Dorothy Cochrane Logan, a 2016 British doctor, claimed to swim A false story by Franciscan preacher The New York Herald published the English Channel for 13 hours Bernardino da Feltre blamed the straight. She was celebrated by an article claiming that many Rumors falsely accused Hillary Jewish community for a missing European newspapers, which animals had escaped from the Clinton of being at the center of a child. Fifteen people were falsely wrote about her accomplishment Central Park Zoo. There was child trafficking ring. #Pizzagate accused, found guilty, and tortured, widespread public panic, but and gave her money as a reward. # contributing to widespread people later found out that the The story later broke that she had anti-Semitism as the story spread. story was a hoax. secretly completed most of the journey by boat.

16th & 17th Centuries 1844 1933-1945 1991 Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels A rumor spread through The invention of the printing press — one of Hitler's closest associates American news outlets that led to mass distribution and sales Anti-Catholic newspapers in and a powerful force in Germany's Vladimir Lenin's body would be of printed materials, regardless of Philadelphia published stories that news media — founded a newspaper auctioned off for millions of their source. Gossip disguised as falsely accused Irishmen of robbing called The Attack to serve his $$$ dollars. The Russian government "news" became the norm by the schools and stealing Bibles, which propaganda messages. Goebbels grew furious, and the editor of 1780s, and opinion columns provoked violent riots and attacks used lies and disinformation to Forbes admitted that the story pushed content designed to on Catholic churches. influence the public into supporting was not true. manipulate public opinion. the Nazis' horrific regime.

Orson Welles' War of the Worlds was 1782 1835 The New York Sun ran reports of 1938 1983 The Patriot newspaper published the Benjamin Franklin created a fake broadcast on the radio, and because animal-like creatures inhabiting article "AIDS may invade India: Mystery issue of the Boston Newspaper to news radio was brand-new at the time, the moon in the "Great Moon disease caused by US experiments." build sympathy for the American many listeners believed the story. Hoax." Circulation went from The false story was picked up in major Revolution. The paper claimed that Allegedly, public panic erupted from 8,000 to 19,000 copies, making it newspapers in 50 countries and cited the Brits hired Native Americans to people who believed an alien invasion the world's best-selling daily an anonymous American scientist scalp soldiers and civilians. The false was happening. While this rampant newspaper at the time. suggesting a "deadly new disease had information was widely circulated by fear is documented in American Unbeknownst to the public, the been created by the Pentagon in a bid to other newspapers, increasing public history, it still remains unclear if this hoax was a commercial strategy. develop new biological weapons." hostility toward Native Americans. public panic truly occurred.

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