In 1835 a New York paper 'discovered' winged people on the Moon.

1835

The Sun's hoax about lunar unicorns and bat-men sent its sales soaring, and the paper never printed a retraction.

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The event

• The Great Moon Hoax1835 · The Sun, New York. In August 1835 New York's The Sun ran six articles claiming astronomer John Herschel had seen life on the Moon through a giant telescope: bison, unicorns, two-legged beavers and winged bat-men who built temples. Weeks later the paper admitted it was invented.

19th century

More amazing facts

• 1834 Darwin ate a new species before realising it was one. On the Beagle voyage his companions shot a rhea and had it for dinner; only then did he see it was the elusive lesser rhea, later named Darwin's rhea.
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