Index/Organizations/Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution

Group of museums and research centers administered by the United States government

Fact-Checks

71 results
Nov 16, 2025
Most Viewed

Has proof ever been found that there were giants on the earth

Modern archaeology and anthropology find no credible physical evidence that a separate race of enormous humans — “giants” in the sense of people many meters tall — ever existed; many historical report...

Dec 2, 2025
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Did any Founding Fathers write about Islam or Muslims in their letters or papers?

Several Founding Fathers explicitly referenced Islam or Muslims in their writings and public actions: Thomas Jefferson owned a Qur’an and studied Islam’s texts; Benjamin Franklin mentioned “the Mufti ...

Nov 25, 2025
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How do genetic studies inform the ancestry of Palestinian populations?

Genetic studies consistently show that modern Palestinians cluster genetically with other Levantine populations (Lebanese, Syrians, Jordanians) and share substantial ancestry with Bronze‑ and Iron‑Age...

Dec 20, 2025

Have archaeologists ever discovered human skeletons unusually large for their time?

Archaeologists have on occasion uncovered human skeletons that are unusually large relative to contemporaneous populations, but confirmed examples are rare and usually have scientific explanations suc...

Dec 12, 2025

When did humans first exist and when did civilization start and what came after it in order

Modern Homo sapiens appeared in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago according to mainstream timelines . "Civilization" — meaning sustained cities, social stratification, agriculture and often writing — f...

Nov 18, 2025

Did Ronald Reagan use the phrase Make America Great Again in his campaigns?

Ronald Reagan used the line “Let’s make America great again” as a campaign pledge in his 1980 presidential run and it appeared on buttons and posters that year . Multiple retrospective accounts—academ...

Nov 20, 2025

Who said “Power doesn’t corrupt as much as it reveals”

The phrase “Power doesn’t corrupt, it reveals” is widely attributed in contemporary reporting and quote collections to biographer Robert A. Caro, who expressed the idea in interviews and his writings:...

Nov 26, 2025

What is the largest recorded human skeleton according to archaeology?

Archaeological reporting does not identify a single uncontested “largest recorded human skeleton”; claims range from well-documented pathological individuals (ancient cases of gigantism) to contested ...

Jan 14, 2026

was there giants on earth

The short answer: there is no credible scientific evidence that the mythic, humanlike “giants”—people 20 feet tall or more—ever roamed Earth; tall figures in folklore, religious texts, and some extrao...

Nov 30, 2025

When and why was Mar-a-Lago built and by whom?

Mar-a-Lago was built in the 1920s by heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post as an opulent winter residence on a 17–20 acre site in Palm Beach; construction took about four years and opened in 1927 after w...

Dec 16, 2025

What were Malcolm X's initial views on white people during his Nation of Islam years?

During his years as a Nation of Islam (NOI) minister (roughly 1952–1964), Malcolm X publicly embraced NOI teachings that characterized white people as oppressive and even as “devils,” arguing whites w...

Nov 30, 2025

How much radiation did Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin receive on Apollo 11 in 1969?

Contemporary NASA measurements and post‑flight analyses show Apollo crews received small, non‑fatal doses: Apollo missions that reached the Moon averaged about 0.46 rad absorbed dose at the skin and r...

Oct 20, 2025

What are the historical examples of Presidents unilaterally altering the White House?

Presidents have repeatedly altered the White House through construction, decoration, and major reconstructions, from Theodore Roosevelt’s modernization to Harry S. Truman’s near-total interior rebuild...

Oct 20, 2025

What are the historical preservation rules for the White House?

The White House is governed by a mix of statute, executive order, and long-standing practice: a 1961 law and Executive Order 11145 formally create responsibilities for care, a Curator, and a Committee...

Dec 2, 2025

What were the measured radiation doses for each Apollo 11 astronaut during the mission?

NASA’s mission dosimeters and later analyses show Apollo astronauts received small cumulative doses on the order of tenths of a rad (0.18–0.46 rad commonly reported), roughly comparable to a couple of...

Nov 17, 2025

How did US influence shape Cuba's pre-1959 economy?

U.S. economic and political influence shaped pre‑1959 Cuba by concentrating ownership and markets in American hands—by the late 1950s U.S. investors controlled large shares of mines, utilities, railwa...

Nov 16, 2025

What archaeological evidence supports or refutes claims of ancient giants?

Archaeological and scientific sources show no verified evidence for a lost race of ancient human "giants" (e.g., nine‑ to twelve‑foot humans) but do record misidentified fossils, hoaxes, and isolated ...

Oct 16, 2025

Who designed the first gold decorations in the White House?

Multiple recent reports document President Donald Trump’s extensive use of gold in Oval Office redecorations, but none of the reviewed sources identify who in the White House. Contemporary coverage fo...

Jan 16, 2026

Which federal facilities require Real ID-compliant identification for entry?

Beginning with staggered enforcement since 2015 and accelerated rules in 2025–2026, Real ID or an acceptable federal alternative is required to access many—but not all—federal facilities: broadly, sec...

Jan 16, 2026

Which specific Oval Office objects are part of the White House historical collection and which were added during the 2025 redecorating?

A line can be drawn between long-held White House collection pieces—like the Resolute Desk and many portraits and gilded objects maintained in the institutional holdings—and the discrete, 2025-specifi...