Can the past change? The Mandela Effect has gone mainstream. Now that the internet is buzzing with wild theories and new examples every day, it's time to go over where the ideas originated, and consider in detail what exactly might be causing it.
The Mandela Effect
Ever had that feeling when you hear of something, like a celebrity dying, and was sure it had happened before? When that happens to a group of people, it has a name - The Mandela Effect. It's called that because there are many who were sure Nelson Mandela died in the 1980's and not in 2013.
Welcome to Alternate Memories, where these and more are documented, discussed and puzzled over.
Remember - as you read about them more and more, some will hit you as being ridiculous, and others as spookily accurate. They are not the same for everyone, which is a huge part of their mystery ;-)
How was Van Gogh's ear cut off?
- Joe Hill 0 Comments
Himself, or in a fight?
MMDE: In a fight
Current: Himself
Towards the end of Van Gogh's life, he was sat in his studio surrounded by many of his unsold paintings.In fact, during his life he only sold one, and that was to an art gallery owner. Those paintings each sold for many millions after his tragic death. In fact he gave one to his doctor, who didn't like it so used it to repair his chicken coup. It was worth $50m in 2016.
It's well known he lost his ear, and most believe he did it to himself. However, this story has taken a few twists down the years and the absolute truth still is not certain. His friend Gauguin was planning to leave, and as Wikipedia reports:
Van Gogh followed when Gauguin left the house for a walk, and "rushed towards me, an open razor in his hand". This account is uncorroborated;Gauguin was almost certainly absent from the Yellow House that night, most likely in a hotel.
How many suicides on Wall St in the 1929 crash?
- Ian Scott 0 Comments
How many deaths?
MMDE: Hundreds
Current: None
It happened just before the Great Depression. Starting in the summer of 1929, and slowly gathering momentum to reach a peak in October, it became known as the Wall Street crash. Peaking on Black Thursday - October 24th, 1929, stories of ruined traders jumping out of the windows to their death have widely circulated since, but how accurate is this?
It tuns out not only were they wrong, they were completely wrong and no-one died that way on the day, although there were stories of suicides by other means following Black Thursday.
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote in The Great Crash of 1929:
In the United States the suicide wave that followed the stock market crash is also part of the legend of 1929. In fact, there was none.
What color coat did Cruella De Vil wear?
- Joe Hutt 0 Comments
101 Golden Retrievers?
MMDE: Cruella De Vil wore a white coat with black dots
Current: Cruella De Vil wore a yellow coat
Here's the second Mandela Effect relating to Disney's 1961 animated classic "101 Dalmatians". Whilst the other one is concerned with how you spell Cruella's name, this one is about the coat she wore.
Many are remembering the coat being the same as the dalmatians, that is black with white polka dots, yet today it's seen as an enlarged yellow mass of fur.
This idea is reinforced by the sole premise of the story - Cruella wants the dalmatians in order to turn them into fur coats. Those experiencing this Mandela Effect are saying the coat being yellow makes no sense any more.
Joan Jett: "Standing" or "Dancing"?
- Eve Clemmons 0 Comments
I love Rock n Roll
MMDE: "Saw him standing there by the record machine"
Current: "Saw him dancing there by the record machine"
Joan Jett's cover of The Arrows 1975 track "I love Rock N Roll" is the one most remember, and probably don't realise the lyrics were suitably swapped around on account of their version being sung by a woman.
Fans are now saying that's not the only lyric change, and one in particular is causing them to point to the Mandela Effect as an explanation because there's no evidence it was originally the way they remember.
"I saw him standing there by the record machine...." is the way they remember it, but it's now "I saw him dancing there... ".
How old was Snow White?
- Ian Scott 0 Comments
In the original story, how old was Snow White?
MMDE: 14
Current: 7
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was made famous when the Brothers Grimm published it, as part of a set drawn from traditional fables, in 1812. The story became more and more popular the world over before Disney made their famous cartoon in 1937.
It tells of how the young Snow White was befriended by the seven dwarves and her battle with the vain Queen.
The issue here is just how young was she? Most people familar with the story from the cartoon assume she was in her teens, or early twenties at the most. It turns out that her age in the original novel, "Little Snow White" comes as quite a shock to many people: she was 7.
Even Disney thought they were being careful by doubling her age to 14 in their movie, but clearly by modern standards this is still disturbing.
What was on the Pulp fiction car plate?
- Ian Grogan 0 Comments
What did Winston Wolfe's car plate show?
MMDE: MRWOLF
Current: 3ABM581
There's a distinctive shot in Quentin Tarantinos "Pulp Fiction" at the end when the registration plate of Winston Wolfe, the mob's "Mr. Fixit", is shown as he drives away in his sports car.
Many people remember it being a vanity plate which read "MRWOLF", yet the movie today shows it as a typical random combination of no significance: "3ABM581".
People are convinced this is a Mandela Effect and say it doesn't make sense to be the way it is today, suggesting the shot is deliberate to emphasise his name, it's in keeping with Winstons character, plus the car was an expensive sports car of the kind where vanity plates are the norm.
How tall was Indiana Jones Hat?
- Tracy Cooper 0 Comments
How did Indiana Jones hat look?
MMDE: Regular Fedora
Current: Fedora as tall as a top hat
The YouTuber Mandela Affected posted a video where he was struck by how different the hat which Harrison Ford wore in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" looked. This was picked up by MoneyBags73 and has since hit many people, who also see the current hat as one which is very different to the one they remember.
The current one is brown and shaped at the bottom like a fedora, but overall the same size as a top hat more fitting to a wedding or funeral.
Since the movie is so famous, there are many images of the hat around the internet, but they all show this strange elongation which jumps out so much at those who remember it being a regular fedora.
