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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).

A Dog Named Sex

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 22, 2001

The hilarious saga of a man who named his dog Sex.

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USGS Mapmaker Fired

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 20, 2001

Was a USGS mapmaker fired for posting a map of caribou breeding grounds on the web?

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What Does Pumpernickel Mean?

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 19, 2001

Is pumpernickel bread named after a horse? Does it translate to 'devil's fart'? So many breadcru ...

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Etymology of Sirloin

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 19, 2001

The cut of steak known as "sirloin" is not so named because an English king once knighted a piec ...

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The Baby Train

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 16, 2001

Did a town with a loud early morning train experience unusually high birth rates?

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Audrey Hepburn poses for her publicity photo to promote the film Sabrina.

Did Audrey Hepburn Author These 'Beauty Tips'?

Written by: Barbara Mikkelson David Mikkelson

May 16, 2001 (Updated: Aug. 8, 2022)

"For attractive lips, speak with words of kindness," the viral quote begins.

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Translation of Turkish Airline Regulations

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 15, 2001

A hilariously garbled English translation of a Turkish airline's regulations.

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Did Michael Jackson Own the Rights to All Beatles Songs?

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 7, 2001

The answer must be heavily qualified in order to avoid being misleading.

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GeoCities Closing

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 6, 2001

Will Yahoo be shutting down all Geocities web site ?

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First Knight

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 6, 2001

A discussion of the droit du seigneur, or the 'right of the lord.'

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Did Houdini Die from a Punch to the Stomach?

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 2, 2001

Nearly everyone familiar with world-famous magician and escape artist Harry Houdini, no matter h ...

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Elephants Fear Mice

Written by: David Mikkelson

May 1, 2001

Are elephants afraid of mice?

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Was John Hanson the First U.S. President?

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 28, 2001

"I can hear you now — John who?"

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Elevator, Door, Floor

Hit the Floor!

Written by: Barbara Mikkelson David Mikkelson

April 28, 2001 (Updated: May 8, 2012)

Legend: The apocryphal tale of the black celebrity, an elevator, and a frightened woman.

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Did David Bowie's Wife Say She Caught Him in Bed with Mick Jagger?

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 26, 2001

"I caught him in bed with men several times. In fact the best time I caught him in bed was with ...

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Etymology of Pommy

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 26, 2001

Is the slang word 'pom' taken from the phrase 'Prisoner of His Majesty'?

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Stack of newspapers showing News header

Etymology of 'News'

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 26, 2001

The English word 'news' is said to derive from an acronym formed from the words 'north,' east,' ...

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The Grapes of Wrath

Was 'The Grapes of Wrath' Mistranslated as 'The Angry Raisins'?

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 25, 2001

"You'd get a blank look at McDonald's, too, if you asked for a slice of meat between two discs o ...

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On the Job

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 24, 2001

Applicant with lengthy arrest record successfully disputes being rejected for a job by the Distr ...

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Pregnant Male Drug Test Cheater

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 24, 2001

A man was caught cheating on a drug test when urinalysis revealed he was pregnant.

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