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Famous People From History Who May Have Never Existed
Some of the most well-known figures from our past may have no basis in fact
Popular figures in history become part of our cultural lexicon. They are so well-known and familiar that we believe we know the basics of who they are and what they accomplished. However, sometimes the reality of their lives is much different and in some cases they may not have even existed, including these three.
Betty Crocker: Many are familiar with the name, if not the image of the woman who first emerged in the 1920s as a promoter of food products and voracious publisher of recipes. In fact, over the years, she practically became synonymous with the kitchen, as many homes had at least one version of her many cookbooks. The only problem is, Betty Crocker has never been a real person.
Crocker was a character created in the image of a model housewife in 1921 by the Washburn-Crosby Company, which specialized in milling flour, spawning from a contest sponsored by the Saturday Evening Post. The name was chosen with the idea that it sounded like a cheerful homemaker (Crocker was also the last name of the Washburn-Crosby Company director). Initially, it was a persona used to answer letters sent to the company with baking questions and the like but over time she evolved into a…
