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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).

spiders spider

Do People Swallow Eight Spiders Per Year?

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 22, 2001

One of the most widely-circulated bits of misinformation to be found on the internet.

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Corporate Angel Network Origin

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 22, 2001

Was the Corporate Angel Network started by Coca-Cola and the Blue Angels?

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Email Surcharges

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 21, 2001

Is the U.S. Postal Service going to slap a 5-cent surcharge on every e-mail message?

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ManBeef.com logo

The ManBeef Hoax

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 19, 2001 (Updated: Oct. 6, 2022)

Once upon a time, there was website called ManBeef.com that advertised "human meat" and detailed ...

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Train tracks.

Are U.S. Railroad Gauges Based on Roman Chariots?

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 16, 2001

The eventual standardization of railroad gauge in the U.S. was due far less to a slavish devotio ...

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The Tale of the Anonymous Test Taker

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 14, 2001

Perhaps this exam proctor should have placed finished exams a bit farther out of reach.

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Itzhak Perlman Three Strings

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 12, 2001

Did violinist Itzhak Perlman once finish a concert on an instrument with only three strings afte ...

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Osco Renaming

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 9, 2001

Were Osco drug stores changed back to the Sav-On name because 'asco' means 'disgust' in Spanish?

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Operation Petticoat

Is This a Real Military Toilet Paper Requisition?

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 7, 2001

"Commanding Officer, USS SKIPJACK, cannot help but wonder what is being used at Mare Island in p ...

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Did Missouri Rename a Highway Adopted by the KKK After Rosa Parks?

Written by: David Mikkelson

April 5, 2001

After a Supreme Court decision forced the state of Missouri to allow the KKK to adopt a highway, ...

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Etymology of Hot Dog

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 29, 2001

Was the term 'hot dog' coined by a sports cartoonist who couldn't spell 'dachshund'?

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Is This What the Earth's Population Would Look Like as a Village of 100 People?

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 27, 2001

What would the proportions of common traits be like if we could shrink the earth's population to ...

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St. Bernard Petition

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 27, 2001

Are St. Bernard dogs being raised for food in China?

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Book, Money, Person

Does the Word 'Buck' Derive From a Reference to Black Male Slaves?

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 25, 2001 (Updated: Oct. 17, 2022)

Here's the etymology of “buck” to mean “dollar."

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Buried Atari Cartridges

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 25, 2001

Did Atari bury millions of unsold 'E.T.' game cartridges in a New Mexico landfill?

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Blind Pilot

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 23, 2001

Airline captain takes seeing eye dog for a walk?

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Nonchalant E-mail About Murdered Secretary

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 21, 2001

Law firm employee sends nonchalant message about replacement of a murdered secretary.

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Bra Ball Petition

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 21, 2001

Is a California artist collecting brassieres in order to construct a giant Bra Ball?

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Soupy Sales' 'Green Pieces of Paper' Scandal

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 19, 2001

Scandal erupted when children's TV host Soupy Sales asked his young viewers to send him 'little ...

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Tips for Stagecoach Travelers

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 19, 2001

Is an 1877 list of tips for stagecoach travelers genuine?

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