Although Wikipedia has been a Godsend for students and researchers around the world for the past decade, not all of the information entered into the online encyclopedia is entirely correct. Here, we’ve compiled fourteen of the biggest Wikipedia blunders that have occurred since Wikipedia first graced us with its presence:
Robbie Williams Gets Paid To Eat Pets In English Pubs.
Although we can’t disprove this accusation concerning former Take That member Robbie Williams, we’re pretty sure this 2006 Wikipedia edit suggesting that he ate hamsters for a living in the city of Stoke is somewhat made up.
David Beckham Used To Be A Goalkeeper. And Chinese. And Alive During The 18th Century.
Cornish translator and antiquary Richard Carew first documented goalkeeping in football in 1602, so it is entirely possible that there was a Chinese goalkeeper during the 18th Century. However, I’m not entirely convinced that said goalkeeper was English football legend David Beckham.
Paul Reiser Died In 2008.
It appears that there’s nothing American comedian, actor, television personality, author and musician Paul Reiser can’t do. However, despite a 2008 Wikipedia edit stating the contrary, being dead is not one of his celebrated triumphs, yet.
Sergey Brin Is In A Sexy Relationship With Jimmy Wales, And Is Also Dead.
Google co-founder and computer scientist Sergey Brin is not only a successful Internet entrepreneur, but according to one Wikipedia entry back in 2006 he also managed to make Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales fall in love with him. Jimmy must have been truly smitten, as an earlier entry four years earlier had claimed Brin had killed himself in Moscow.
Tony Blair Loves Hitler.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been the centre of controversy ever since he was elected back in 1997. However, Wikipedia’s claim that he worships Hitler is yet to proven. The entry popped up in February 2006 and stated that Blair hung “posters of Adolf Hitler on his bedroom wall as a teenager” and that he started “a false war against Saddam Hussein.” These entries caused Blair’s political opponents to berate him so heavily that Wikipedia eventually launched an investigation to see whether the entries had in fact come from the House of Commons.
Duchess Of Cornwall Camilla’s Real Name Is Cow-Miller.
Like the scallywag who changed her Christian name on Wikipedia, we can neither confirm nor deny Camilla’s history with cows.
Sinbad Died In 2007.
According to MSNBC, Sinbad found out that he had been falsely labeled dead following a heart attack when his daughter rang him. By that time, hundreds of people had already shared the page.
Nancy Zimpher, Former President Of The University Of Cincinnati, Is A Witch Whore.
That is, for a short time her Wikipedia page claimed she was a “witch” and a “prostitute” who flies around on a broomstick, not a prostitute who exclusively caters to witches. Although, I’m not sure which one of those situations is worse. The entry went on to state: “critics also claim that she doesn’t care what alumni, boosters or students think. An example of this would be getting rid of midnight madness.”
John Seigenthaler Sr Assassinated John And Robert Kennedy.
This Wikipedia blunder had some real consequences as retired journalist John Seigenthaler went on to publish an entire editorial on the subject calling it “Internet character assassination,” and slander. Seigenthaler had previously worked with Jogn F Kenned, but at one point his Wikipedia page went as far as to accuse of being involved in the assassinations of both John and Robert Kennedy. The entry read: “Seigenthler was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both John, and his brother, Bobby. Nothing was ever proven.” It took Wikipedia 132 days to remove the entry.
Conan O’Brien Abuses Sea Turtles While Canoeing.
Not only was this edit unbelievable as Stephen Colbert was to blame for the hoax, but nobody believed that Conan O’Brien would go canoeing.
Vernon Kay Died In A Yachting Accident.
According to a Wikipedia edit, British TV personality Vernon Kay “drowned in a tragic yachting accident and Greece” years ago. This entry was particularly weird as the information regarding his funeral was very detailed.
Miley Cyrus Died In 2008.
Fans were sent into a panicked frenzy back in 2008 when a hoax created by social media site Digg and Wikipedia stated she had died in a car crash on the way to filming Hannah Montana. As I’m sure you know, she’s not actually dead. She can’t stop and she won’t stop.
Citizens Of Denshaw Are Obese, Pale And Throw Sheep Around.
The entire village of Denshaw near Greater Manchester, England was the victim of a rather insulting rant on Wikipedia, in which someone called Denshaw “the home to an obese population of sun-starved, sheep hurling yokels with a brothel for a pub and a lingering tapeworm infection.” Sounds lovely.
Plato Was A Hawaiian Weatherman And Surfer.
Wikipedia once reported that Plato was a Hawaiian weatherman and surfer who wrote about cosmo girls and founded the punahou in Ancient Florida. Hey, we believe what we want to believe.
Gary Oldman Is Actually A Giraffe.
Gary Oldman is an extremely talented actor; so talented in fact that a Wikipedia article suggests that he has fooled us all into believing he is a human, when he is actually a giraffe.
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