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Twenty Greatest Historical Myths Part-II

-sul4bh
10. Magellan circumnavigated the world
Everyone knows two things about Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. One, he was the first man to circumnavigate the world; and two, during this historic trip, he was killed by natives in the Philippines. Of course, those two things tend to contradict each other. Magellan only made it half-way around the world, leaving it to his second-in-command, Juan Sebastian Elcano, to complete the circumnavigation.
9. Nero fiddled while Rome burned
We all know the story of mad Emperor Nero starting the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, then fiddling while the city burned. However, this would have been impossible. For one thing, the violin wouldn't be invented for another 1,600 years. OK, some versions of the story suggest that he played a lute or a lyre - but then, scholars place the emperor in his villa at Antium, 30 miles away, when the fire began. Though he was innocent of this disaster, however, there is much evidence to show that he was ruthless and depraved.
8. Captain Cook discovered
AustraliaMany Australians will agree that this isn't so - but for the wrong reasons. They will point out that, many years before Cook arrived in Sydney in 1770, Australia had already been visited by Dutchmen Abel Tasman and Dirk Hartog, and an English buccaneer, William Dampier. Of course, it had been previously been discovered some 50,000 years earlier by the indigenous Australians.But in fairness to Cook, he did discover a new part of the country - and more importantly, this led to the first white settlers (an opportunity that Tasman, Hartog and Dampier didn't take). So let's say that Cook DID discover Australia! Fine, but Cook was actually a Lieutenant when he sailed to the Great South Land. The "captain" rank might be a minor point, but it's certainly inaccurate - and as he is called "Captain Cook" so often that it might as well be his name, it's one worth correcting.
7. Shakespeare wrote the story of Hamlet
William Shakespeare is generally known as the greatest playwright who ever lived, even though most of his plays were not original, but adaptations of earlier stories. "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" (1603), probably his most famous play, was based on an ancient Scandinavian story. But while it might not have been the original version of the story, we can safely assume it was the best.
6. America became independent on July 4, 1776
Hold the fireworks! As most American school children (and many non-American ones) are aware, America's founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, the war raged for another seven years before independence from England was finally granted on September 3, 1783. On that day, Britain's George III and US leaders signed the Definitive Treaty of Peace.
5. Edison invented the electric light
Thomas Edison is known as the world's greatest inventor. His record output - 1,093 patents - still amazes us, over a century later. Astonishing, except for one thing: he didn't invent most of them. Most Edison inventions were the work of his unsung technicians - and his most famous invention, the electric light, didn't even belong to his laboratory. Four decades before Edison was born, English scientist Sir Humphry Davy invented arc lighting (using a carbon filament). For many years, numerous innovators would improve on Davy's model. The only problem: none could glow for more than twelve hours before the filament broke. The achievement of Edison's lab was to find the right filament that would burn for days on end. A major achievement, but not the first.
4. Columbus proved that the Earth was round
It was American author Washington Irving, some 500 years after Columbus sailed to America, who first portrayed the Italian explorer as launching on his voyage to prove that the Earth was round, defying the common, flat-earther belief of the time. In fact, most educated Europeans in Columbus's day knew that the world was round. Since the fourth century BC, almost nobody has believed that the Earth is flat. Even if that wasn't the case, Columbus would never have set out to prove that the Earth was round... simply because he didn't believe it himself! Columbus thought that the Earth was pear-shaped. He set sail to prove something else: that Asia was much closer than anyone thought. Even in this, he was wrong. To further besmirch his memory, it should also be noted that he never set foot on mainland America. The closest he came was the Bahamas. Pear-shaped, indeed!
3. Gandhi liberated India
To westerners, Mahatma Gandhi is easily the most famous leader of India's independence movement. He deserves credit for promoting the ancient ideals of ahimsa (non-violence). However, most historians agree that Indian independence was inevitable. Gandhi was just one of several independence leaders. The Indian National Congress was founded as early as 1885, when he was only 16. Gandhi's much-publicised civil disobedience was only a small part in the movement, and some historians even suggest that India would have achieved independence sooner if they had focused on the more forceful methods that they had used 50 years earlier, and which were still advocated by other independence leaders, such as Gandhi's rival Netaji Chandra Bose (who is also revered in India).
2. Jesus was born on December 25
Christmas is meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but there is no evidence whatsoever, biblical or otherwise, that He was actually born on that day. Nor is there anything to suggest that He was born in a manger, or that there were three wise men (although, as any nativity play will remind you, three gifts were mentioned). There are differing views as to why December 25 was chosen as Christmas day, but one of the most interesting is that the day was already celebrated by followers of Mithras, the central god of a Hellenistic cult that developed in the Eastern Mediterranean around 100 BC. The followers of this faith believed that Mithras was born of a virgin on 25 December, and that his birth was attended by shepherds...Which brings us to the number one historical myth - something that is drilled into the heads of nearly all American schoolchildren...
1. George Washington was America's first President
Everyone "knows" that Washington was the first of the (so far) 43 Presidents of the US. However, this isn't strictly the case. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress (or the 'United States in Congress Assembled') chose Peyton Randolph as the first President. Under Randolph, one of their first moves was to create the Continental Army (in defence against Britain), appointing General Washington as its commander. Randolph was succeeded in 1781 by John Hancock, who presided over independence from Great Britain (see myth #6). After Washington defeated the British at the Battle of Yorktown, Hancock sent him a note of congratulations. Washington's reply was addressed to "The President of the United States". Eight years later, as a revered war hero, Washington himself became America's first popularly elected President - but strictly speaking, the FIFTEENTH President!

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५ करोड फेसबुक प्रयोगकर्ताको तथ्यांक चोरी भएको खबर केही दिन पहिले गार्डियन तथा न्युयोर्क टाइम्स ले प्रकाशित गरेको थियो । प्रयोगकर्ताको जानकारी विना फेसबुकबाट लिइएको उक्त तथ्यांकलाई क्याम्ब्रिज एनालिटिका भन्ने कम्पनीले अनधिकृत रुपमा प्रयोग गरेको दावी गर्दै, क्याम्ब्रिज एनालिटिका’का भूतपूर्व इन्जिनियर क्रिस्टोफर वाइलीले गार्डियनलाई अन्तरवार्ता दिएर यी कुराहरु मिडियामा सार्वजनिक गरेका थिए । क्रिस्टोफरका अनुसार क्याम्ब्रिज एनालिटिकाले २०१४ मा एउटा एप मार्फत करिब ५ करोड फेसबुक प्रयोगकर्ताहरुको तथ्यांक चोरी गरेको थियो । क्याम्ब्रिज एनालिटिका र फेसबुककै विषयमा गार्डियनले पहिले नै २०१५ मा समाचार प्रकाशित गरेको थियो । उक्त समाचार पछि फेसबुकले क्याम्ब्रिज एनालिटिकालाई तथ्यांक मेटाउन भनेको र एनालिटिकाले तथ्यांक मेटाएको जानकारी फेसबुकलाई गराएको थियो । तर दुबै कम्पनीले यो कुरालाई गुपचुप राखेका थिए, अझ उल्टै फेसबुकले जथाभावी समाचार लेखेको भन्दै गार्डियनलाई मुद्दा हाल्ने धम्कि दिएको थियो भने क्याम्ब्रिज एनालिटिकाले तथ्यांक सुरक्षित नै राखेको थियो । त्यही चोरी गरिएको प्रयोगकर्ताहरुको तथ्यांकलाई ...

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आकार पोष्ट रेडियोको पहिलो अंकमा स्वागत छ । आजको यो अंकमा ट्विटरले केही दिन पहिले पासवर्ड परिवर्तन गर्न जारी गरेको सूचनाको बारेमा कुरा गर्दैछु । के कति कारणले, ट्विटरले पासवर्ड परिवर्तन गर्न सूचना जारी गर्‍यो, तथा प्रयोगकर्ताले के कति कारणले पासवर्ड तुरुन्त परिवर्तन गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने विषयमा यो अंक केन्द्रित छ । पडकास्टको यो पहिलो अंक परिक्षणको रुपमा मोबाइलमा रेकर्ड गरेर तयार पारिएको हो । कति सकिन्छ थाहा छैन, तर यस पडकास्टलाई साप्ताहिक रुपमा सञ्चालन गर्ने मेरो योजना छ, जहाँ सूचना प्रविधिका विभिन्न पाटोहरुको बारेमा कुरा गर्नेछु । हाललाई यो पडकास्ट एन्कर एफएम तथा स्टिचर एप मार्फत सुन्न सकिन्छ । ट्विटरमा प्रयोग भएको पासवर्ड अन्य साइटहरुमा (जस्तो: फेसबुक, गुगल, दराज, सस्तोडिल, ड्रपबक्स आदि) पनि प्रयोग गरिएकोछ भने, ती साइटहरुमा पनि पासवर्ड तुरुन्त परिवर्तन गर्नुभइ, इन्टरनेटमा सुरक्षित रहनुहोला। प्रो टिप: साइटहरुमा कहिले पनि एउटै पासवर्ड प्रयोग नगर्नुहोला। pic.twitter.com/PjWwQWc7C4 — Aakar Anil (@aakarpost) May 4, 2018

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फेसबुक न्युजफिड अपडेट - पेजलाई झनै गाह्रो

अमेरिकामा भएको पछिल्लो राष्ट्रपति निर्वाचनको परिणाम सार्वजनिक भएसँगै फेसबुक लगायत विभिन्न सोसल मिडिया साइटहरुको उपयोगिताबारे व्यापक बहस सुरु भएको थियो । "फेक न्युज"को बिगबिगीले गर्दा फेसबुक, एकहिसाबमा फेकबुकमा परिणत भयो । प्राय: फेक न्युजहरु नै धेरै सेयर हुने र भाइरल हुन थाले । धेरै सेयर हुँदा, स्वाभावत: "फेक न्युज" पनि साँच्चै हो भन्न थालियो । कहिँकति अनुसन्धान छैन, फलानोले एकथरि पेजबाट समाचार सेयर गर्छ, अर्कोले सेयर गर्छ, अर्कोले गर्छ, असत्य तथा काल्पनिक समाचारहरु कै बोलबाला देखियो । नेपालमा भएको पछिल्लो निर्वाचनमा पनि प्रचारवाजी शैलीका मनगढन्ते तथा काल्पनिक समाचारहरु भाइरल भए । फलाना र चिलाना पार्टि, मान्छे पिच्छेका अनलाइन समाचार पोर्टल, फेसबुकको न्युजफिड हेर्न नै दिक्क लाग्ने किसिमको थियो । सबैभन्दा अनौठो लाग्ने चाँहि, मान्छेहरु फेसबुकमा फलाना समाचार पोर्टलले लेखेको भन्दै सेयर गरिरहेका भेटिन्थे । अझ के भने, नेपालका ठूला प्रकाशनहरु सँग ठ्याक्कै मिल्ने नामहरु राखेर काल्पनिक समाचारको व्यापार गर्ने समूहहरु नै छन् । उदाहरणको लागि, कान्तिपुरले यस्तो उस्तो लेख्यो ...

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