In 2009, Fiona Broome launched this Mandela Effect website to document memories that didn’t match our current reality and its history. Today, this website documents those foundational discussions and theories.

The first reported memories included Nelson Mandela’s funeral in the late 20th century. Many people – in several countries – remembered nearly identical details of that funeral coverage. None of us could explain that coincidence.

Then, new site visitors mentioned other odd memories. The first were about David Soul’s death (still alive in 2019) and 52 United States (in this reality, it’s 50).

Later, topics like Billy Graham’s funeral, the Berenstein/Berenstain Bears, and the color sequence on Pepsi products and the Chevron sign went viral.

And then… the entire topic went viral. Weirdly. Wildly. And it lots of forums.

Now, the Mandela Effect community has grown to hundreds of thousands of people, connected by extraordinary, similar memories.

Here’s Fiona’s explanation:

The “Mandela Effect” is what happens when someone has a clear memory of something that never happened in this reality.

Many of us – mostly total strangers – remember the exact same events with the almost identical details. However, our memories are different from what’s in history books, newspaper archives, and so on.

This isn’t a conspiracy, and we’re not talking about “false memories.”

Most people routinely check to see if they’re just confused. And sometimes, they are.

Often, their memories are not only clear, but confirmed by others who recall the exact same events.

How does this happen, and why?

There is no “one size fits all” answer. In fact, there are probably multiple valid explanations. They include news reporters’ mistakes that spread, word-of-mouth, sometimes from sources one might usually trust.

But, my favorite conversations were in the early days of the Mandela Effect. That’s when some of us speculated that parallel realities exist, and – until now – we’ve been “sliding” between them without realizing it.

Is that a real explanation? I have no idea, but – especially in real-life conversations – that’s still one of my favorite theories.

For me, the most fun parts of this website are about alternate history and possible explanations for this phenomenon.

But, I think much of this should be treated lightly. I believe the future is far more interesting than dissecting the past… whatever did (or didn’t) happen, unless it powerfully impacted our personal lives.

That video is one of several Mandela Effect videos at YouTube: https://youtu.be/tM6MWHQxSN8

Related pages: Memories – Theories – FAQs – Sitemap

Fiona Broome (that’s me) began this website in 2009, after a related conversation in Dragon Con’s green room with Shadowe (Dragon Con’s security manager) and a few other celebrity guests.

Our original conversations were in that grey area between speculation and sci-fi. It was fun. We were talking in “what if…?” terms.

Then, new comments cast the Mandela Effect in a slightly different light. The subject became more serious.

From there, the topic has taken on a life of its own. You’ll find it discussed at Reddit, YouTube, on TV and radio shows, and across the Internet.

Do I take all of these conversations seriously…? Of course not.

Some are whimsical.

Others are are odd, and I try to be sensitive to people’s concerns about their memories. That’s especially true when people are worried or feel anxious or vulnerable.

Mandela Effect website timeline

2009: Encouraged by one of my book editors, I started this website. A few people commented. Others emailed me with their insights. Most of the conversations were light, and related to sci-fi concepts and unusual memories.

2010 – 2014: People began reporting memories other than Nelson Mandela’s death in the 20th century. Visitors shared anecdotes and informal theories. Generally, we didn’t take ourselves too seriously.

2015: Abruptly, this topic reached critical mass. The Berenstein/Berenstain subject went viral, partly thanks to George Takei’s social media posts, followed by other widespread alternate memories.

Visitors were astonished to learn about others’ memories with remarkably similar details and points of reference by multiple, unconnected people.

Then, trolls and spammers joined the discussions. I usually deleted their comments. (Sometimes I replied, making it clear I was not amused by their efforts.) I’m sure some “fake” comments are still on this site. That was inevitable, once the topic started trending.

2016: By mid-2016, moderating comments required six or more hours per day. I didn’t have that kind of free time. (I still don’t.) So, I closed this site to new comments, except for immediate replies to the newest articles.

Since then, Mandela Effect discussions have been in the wild. And some of them are “wild” on many levels.

2020: As the Mandela Effect increases in popularity – and website traffic crashed the site, daily – I began putting the most important information into books.

First, it’s going into ebooks that people can read – free – in Kindle Unlimited. Then, I’m publishing paperback books for people who – like me – prefer printed books. (Also, libraries can stock the book for patrons, so even more people have access to this information.)

I believe there are a wealth of unanswered questions about the Mandela Effect.

But in recent years – seeing social media misrepresent related topics – I’m unable to use most reports as credible data points. So, my Mandela Effect research relies on early, more reliable reports and theories.

Where this started



Many years ago, I was one of the people who coined the phrase “Mandela Effect” during a fun, slightly frivolous conversation in Dragon Con‘s “green room.”

(“Shadowe,” a Dragon Con security manager, was also part of the conversation. I have no idea which of us started using the phrase, first. And, it’s possible that my husband came up with the phrase.)

As an aside, Shadowe mentioned that — like me — other people remembered Nelson Mandela’s tragic death in a South African prison, years earlier. (In this reality, Mandela died in 2013.)

Suddenly, several others in the green room joined the conversation. It was a fascinating discussion that spun into weird and hilarious tangents.

After I returned home, one of my book editors encouraged me to start a website about the Mandela Effect, to measure public interest in it.

Within a couple of years, this topic had turned into something much bigger. I’m still astonished by that.

Here’s my brief bio…

Fiona Broome is fascinated by history, and intrigued by unexplained phenomena in everyday life. She uses books, videos, podcasts, and websites to share ways you can have extraordinary experiences on your own, and with others who share your enthusiasm.

Fiona has been researching – and writing about – paranormal phenomena (mostly ghosts) since the early 1980s.

In the 1990s, her ghost-related website, HollowHill.com, was one of the first online resources for new and experienced researchers. It’s still among the largest and most trusted ghost hunting websites.

Fiona has been a location scout for paranormal TV shows, and a consultant for some of those shows – and their stars.

In late 2017, Fiona created a Fiona Broome YouTube Channel.

Ms. Broome has written over 1,000 articles for magazines and websites. Discussing paranormal topics, she’s been a guest on many radio and TV shows, including – in 2018 – George Noory’s Coast to Coast AM.

International events featuring Fiona Broome have included: Dragon Con, the New England Ghost Conference, GhoStock, Central Texas Paranormal Conference, and Canada’s annual G.H.O.S.T.S. conferences.

Today, Fiona focuses on historical and paranormal research, especially in the eastern USA, the UK, and Ireland. She continues to write books, create videos and articles for her websites, and work as a consultant for paranormal TV shows.

And no, she still isn’t sure why – like so many other people – she clearly recalls Nelson Mandela’s funeral on the TV, back in the late 20th century. But she’s pleased that this website started such extraordinary conversations. In a way, they’re the intersection of science fiction and modern experience.