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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).

Kurt Vonnegut MIT Commencement Address

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 31, 1999

Did Kurt Vonnegut give the commencement address at MIT?

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The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 29, 1999

A babysitter receives mysterious, threatening phone calls.

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Did Lewis Carroll Send Queen Victoria a Mathematics Text?

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 26, 1999

According to legend, the author of 'Alice in Wonderland' prankishly dispatched a copy of one of ...

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Deceased Pet Replaced

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 24, 1999

Dead pet shipped by air is mistakenly replaced with live animal.

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Was Star Trek's Chekov Inspired by Pravda?

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 22, 1999

Legend holds that the character of Pavel Chekov was added to 'Star Trek' in response to an edito ...

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Egg Balancing on the Equinox

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 17, 1999

It is not true that a special property of the equinox allows eggs (or brooms) to be balanced on ...

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Red stapler next to a pile of staples.

Is This a Real Case Study of Scrotum Self-Repair?

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 16, 1999

A machine shop worker tore his scrotum in a piece of machinery and then stapled it back together.

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Balcony Deaths

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 15, 1999

Stranger trips young girls and sends them plummeting over theater balconies?

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The Oberweiss Will

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 15, 1999

Did a Texas farmer named Herman Oberweiss file an unusual, self-penned will in 1934?

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Pot Scrubber Sponges and Agent Orange

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 15, 1999

Do Procter & Gamble pot scrubber sponges contain a dangerous derivative of Agent Orange?

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The Tale of the Mailed Blue Book

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 13, 1999 (Updated: Aug. 28, 2019)

Legend tells of a plan to finish an exam after the testing period ended by enlisting his mother, ...

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Execution Exception

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 12, 1999

Is a condemned prisoner entitled to go free if the first attempt to execute him fails?

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'Star Trek': Words and Music

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 9, 1999

The theme to the original 'Star Trek' television series officially includes never-used lyrics.

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Porn Video Refund Scam

Written by: David Mikkelson

March 3, 1999

A clever scam involving porn video refunds?

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Donald duck star on walk on fame

Was Donald Duck Banned in Finland Because He Doesn't Wear Pants?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Feb. 26, 1999 (Updated: Aug. 18, 2007)

What's the big idea?

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Did Dr. Seuss Write 'Green Eggs and Ham' on a Bet?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Feb. 25, 1999

The classic children's book comprises 49 monosyllabic words, plus the three-syllable word “anywh ...

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Was Elvis Presley Told to 'Stick to Truck Driving?'

Was Elvis Presley Told to 'Stick to Truck Driving?'

Written by: David Mikkelson

Feb. 21, 1999 (Updated: July 6, 2022)

The King of Rock and Roll was reportedly told he would "never make it as a singer."

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Mariah Carey on King Hussein

Written by: David Mikkelson

Feb. 18, 1999

Did Mariah Carey confuse King Hussein of Jordan with Michael Jordan?

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Did Elvis Presley Really Say This About Black People?

Written by: David Mikkelson

Feb. 13, 1999

Rumors of a disparaging remark the famous singer made about African-Americans raised doubts amon ...

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Empty Classroom

All the Good Things

Written by: David Mikkelson

Feb. 7, 1999

A teacher's ad hoc class assignment is kept and treasured by her students.

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