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David Mikkelson

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994 as a creative outgrowth of his wide-ranging interests in a variety of subjects (particularly folklore) and his professional expertise in the computer industry. Handling everything from researching and writing articles about urban legends to managing the site’s technical infrastructure, David saw snopes.com (which antedated the development of automated search engines) quickly become the go-to place for Internet users to query about anything questionable they encountered online, establishing it as the oldest and best known online fact-checking outlet operating today. David’s educational background includes a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas (San Antonio) and about a zillion course hours of post-graduate classes at California State University Northridge taken with no particular degree program in mind. His previous employment encompassed stints with the News-Chronicle (newspaper), Teledyne Electronics, USPS, JPL, Digital Equipment Corporation, Rocketdyne, and Health Net (HMO).

Between 1937 and 1945 Heinz produced a version of Alphabetti Spaghetti especially for the German market that consisted solely of little pasta swastikas.

Did Heinz Market Swastika-Shaped Pasta In Germany During WWII?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 23, 2002 (Updated: Sept. 6, 2022)

As this rumor goes, Heinz produced a version of Alphabetti spaghetti for Nazi-era Germans that c ...

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Cat Rescued From Garbage Disposal

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 17, 2002

Hilarious story of attempt to rescue cat from garbage disposal.

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Snow Job

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 16, 2002

Newscaster inadvertently makes sexually suggestive comment regarding an amount of snowfall?

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School Prayer Petition

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 16, 2002

Will signing a petition help reinstate organized prayer in public schools?

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PEZ began in 1927 as an Austrian manufacturer and vendor of compressed peppermint tablets (hence its name, taken from Pfefferminz, the German word for “peppermint”).

Was Betsy Ross the Only Real Person Depicted On a PEZ Dispenser?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 10, 2002 (Updated: Aug. 24, 2022)

In American history, Ross is something of a legend — a craftswoman who made flags.

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Are more people killed by donkeys every year than in airplane crashes?

Are More People Killed By Donkeys Than Airplane Crashes Annually?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 9, 2002 (Updated: Sept. 28, 2022)

This rumor has been circulating since at least 1987, when it was cited in an article about effor ...

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SULFNBK.EXE Virus

Written by: David Mikkelson

Jan. 8, 2002

Information about the SULFNBK.EXE hoax.

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Bush Salutes Birdwell

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 27, 2001

During a hospital visit, did President George W. Bush salute an Army officer who had been badly ...

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Osama bin Laden as Man of the Year

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 24, 2001

Is Time magazine considering designating Osama bin Laden as its "Man of the Year" for 2001?

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Reeezak Virus

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 19, 2001

Information about the Reeezak worm.

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Texas Free Towing Service?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 14, 2001

Rumor: The state of Texas offers free towing services to stranded motorists.

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Rubber Made

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 14, 2001

Groom's indiscretion with a bachelor party stripper is revealed by his failure to remove the condom.

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Dec. 11 Memorial

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 10, 2001

Has the President of the United States of America asked all Americans to play the national anthe ...

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Does the Tab Soft Drink Name Stand for 'Totally Artificial Beverage'?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 8, 2001

The name doesn't exactly conjure up images of something delicious and refreshing to drink.

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wd40

What Does 'WD-40' Stand For?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 5, 2001

Does the name of this iconic spray found in almost every garage reveal something about its inven ...

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Goner Virus

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 5, 2001

Information about the 'Goner' worm.

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John Glenn Polemic

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 5, 2001

Astronaut John Glenn authored a piece expressing outrage at how the U.S. military has been hampe ...

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Are Harry Potter Books Sparking a Rise in Satanism Among Children?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Dec. 1, 2001

"The Harry Potter books showed me that magic is real, something I can learn and use right now, a ...

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National Day of Reconciliation

Written by: David Mikkelson

Nov. 26, 2001

Has Congress established a National Day of Reconciliation?

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Flashing IM Password Theft

Written by: David Mikkelson

Nov. 25, 2001

Is a flashing Instant Message is a sign that someone is trying to steal your password?

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