What Is the Mandela Effect? 20 Examples and Explanations

The Mandela effect is a situation where a large group of people remembers an event differently than how it happened. Fiona Broome coined the term in 2009 after discovering many people, including herself, believed Nelson Mandela died in the 1980s (he actually died in 2013).

The Mandela Effect: What It Is

• The Mandela Effect is a group phenomenon where many people remember the same event differently than how it actually occurred.

• It is named after Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa. Many people mistakenly recollect that he passed away in prison during the 1980s, although he actually passed in 2013.

Origins of the Mandela Effect

• The term "Mandela Effect" was created in 2009 by Fiona Broome while making a website to document her observations of the phenomenon.

• At a conference, Broome discussed her memory of Nelson Mandela's death in a South African prison in the 1980s with others.

• However, Nelson Mandela did not pass away in a prison in the 1980s, he died in 2013. As Broome spoke with more people, she discovered that she wasn't alone in her recollections. Others shared memories of seeing news coverage of his death and a speech by his widow.

• Astonished that many people could remember the same event in such vivid detail when it never occurred, Broome, encouraged by her book publisher, launched a website to discuss what she termed the Mandela Effect and similar incidents.

Notable Examples of the Mandela Effect

• Henry VIII Eating a Turkey Leg: A common misconception is a portrait of Henry VIII depicting him holding or eating a turkey leg, although no such painting exists.

• "Luke, I Am Your Father": In Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, many people inaccurately recall Darth Vader saying "Luke, I am your father" instead of the actual line, "No, I am your father."

• "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall": In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the iconic line is often misquoted as "Mirror, mirror on the wall" instead of the correct "Magic mirror on the wall."

• Oscar Meyer or Oscar Mayer?: There's a debate over the spelling of the popular hot dog brand, with some mistakenly remembering it as "Oscar Meyer" instead of the correct "Oscar Mayer."

• Location of New Zealand: Some individuals incorrectly recall New Zealand being positioned northeast of Australia rather than its actual southeast location.

• Berenstein Bears: The children's book series "The Berenstain Bears" is often misremembered as "The Berenstein Bears," with the "e" replacing the "a."

• Shazaam, Starring Sinbad?: A collective false memory exists of a movie called "Shazaam" starring the actor/comedian Sinbad in the 1990s, although no such movie was ever produced.

• Pikachu's Black-Tipped Tail: Many individuals mistakenly recall Pikachu, a Pokémon character, having a black-tipped tail when it's actually solid yellow.

• Mickey Mouse's Suspenders: Mickey Mouse is frequently misremembered as wearing suspenders, but the original character design portrays him without any.

• Sally Field's Famous Oscar Speech: In Sally Field's Oscar acceptance speech in 1985, she's misquoted as saying "You like me, you really like me!" when she actually said, "I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me."

• Looney Toons or Looney Tunes?: Many people mistakenly believe the cartoon show is called "Looney Toons" instead of the correct "Looney Tunes."

• Jiffy Peanut Butter: Many individuals mistakenly recall a peanut butter brand called "Jiffy Peanut Butter," although it's actually "Jif."

• Curious George's Tail: Curious George, the beloved children's book character, is often misremembered as having a tail, when in reality, he does not.

• Fruit Loops or Fruit Loops?: Kellogg's cereal brand is commonly misremembered as "Fruit Loops" instead of the correct spelling, "Froot Loops."

• Fruit of the Loom's Logo: The Fruit of the Loom logo is often falsely recalled as having a cornucopia behind the fruit, when in fact, there is no cornucopia in the logo.

• C-3PO's Leg Is What?: In Star Wars, C-3PO is frequently misremembered as having a gold right leg, but in reality, his right leg is silver.

• "Play It Again, Sam"...Or Not: In the movie "Casablanca," the famous line "Play it again, Sam" is mistakenly remembered, as the actual line is "Play it once, Sam."

• "It's a Beautiful Day...Where?: The opening line of Fred Rogers' show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" is commonly misremembered as "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" instead of the correct "It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood."

• Mr. Monopoly's Monocle: Mr. Monopoly, the mascot of the Monopoly board game, is often erroneously portrayed as wearing a monocle, when in reality, he does not wear one.

Reasons Behind the Mandela Effect

• False Memories: Imperfect recall, confabulation, and misleading post-event information contribute to false memories.

• Confabulation: Confabulation is a phenomenon where the brain fills gaps in memory with invented details, resulting in false memories.

• Misleading Post-Event Information: Information encountered after an event can alter or contaminate memories of that event.

• Priming: The process of exposure to certain cues or information that influences subsequent memory recall is known as priming.

• Internet's Impact: The spread of false information online can contribute to the formation and reinforcement of false memories.

Conclusion

The Mandela effect remains a fascinating phenomenon that continues to be debated and studied. Although there's no one explanation that fully accounts for all instances of the effect, the current understanding suggests it's likely a combination of factors such as false memories, confabulation, misleading post-event information, and the influence of the internet.