If you grew up remembering the "Berenstain Bears" as the "Berenstein Bears" and you swear the line from Snow White is actually "mirror, mirror on the wall," then read on for more creepy examples of what’s known as the Mandela Effect — the idea that a parallel universe (not just coincidence) can explain why so many people collectively remember historical moments incorrectly.



1. Nelson Mandela actually died in prison. Some people believe Nelson Mandela died in prison instead of living until the ripe age of 95. His health issues during his time in prison might have created confusion, but this is one phenomenon people will defend to their own death.

"There is at least one passage in a South African history book confirming that Nelson Mandela did die about a year and a half after he was released from prison on February 11, 1990 …The quote from this book says that, ’The chaos that erupted in the ranks of the ANC when Nelson Mandela died on the 23rd of July, 1991 bought the January 29th, 1991 Inkatha-ANC peace accord to nothing.’ … It would be one thing for an author to be mistaken about someone’s death: but would any South African author make such an error about the most famous man in the country? And would the editor of this professional journal not catch such a huge, embarrassing mistake in the publication?" —Reddit user True-Earth

2. The Berenstein Bears vs. The Berenstain Bears.



They are pronounced the same, but even die-hard fans of the series swear it was spelled “-stein.” But let’s be real, was anyone ever really skilled at reading script as a kid?

“I completely remember ‘Berenstein.’ I can see the books in my mind. It’s how it was always pronounced by everyone. I remember the video cassette covers being ‘Berenstein.’ Yes, I fully acknowledge it could be my brain rewriting memories to suit the present. But again, tons of people remember ‘Berenstein.’” —Reddit user amusso18

3. Outkast’s “Miss Jackson” was actually released in the ’90s. People swear that “Miss Jackson” had pre-Y2K radio airtime alongside other ’90s groups like TLC — but it was released in 2000.

“[Miss Jackson] was popular when I was in college back in 1992–1994 … My memories of the song were clear — my group of friends in college even had a joke about saying, ‘Forever, ever?’ when someone mentioned the word ‘forever,’ and sometimes would sing the falsetto ‘I am for real…’ when trying to convey sincerity.” —Reddit user ddsilver

4. Shirley Temple died young, not at 85. The mystique of child stars “dying too soon” coupled with Temple’s intense fame in a pre-internet world may have given rise to this myth. TBH, it takes a special kind of living legend to have a beverage named after you. Still, some are shocked to find she lived to old age.

“I was watching a YouTube video about the subject, and read a comment that said ‘I still refuse to accept that Shirley Temple did not die as a child.’ I was really confused, because Shirley Temple did die as a child, right?” —Reddit user tmethrowaway95

5. Looney Toons vs. Looney Tunes.

Although “Toons” would make sense for these iconic cartoons, the correct spelling is actually “Tunes,” a nod to the series’ orchestra music and sound effects.

“I would be willing to bet everything I have, the entire essence of my being, on it being Looney Toons before, at least for me. I used to watch them A LOT. I just Googled and it blew my mind because I can still picture the ’Looney Toons’ logo in my head 100 percent clear.” —Reddit user LaughingAtIdiotz

6. People have watched Harry Potter movie scenes years before the films were released. There are a few claims swimming around the web that certain Harry Potter scenes were actually once included in the earlier films. Knowledge of the book series might have aided in these mix-ups, but some Muggles will tell you that they’ve experienced this magic firsthand.

“Those of you who have watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will know the scene where the death-eaters set fire to the Burrow … I distinctly remember at some point in the [first] movie watching the scene mentioned above. I remember watching every shot, every little detail about that scene, at that time … Fast-forward to the release of the sixth film: as the scene starts playing, I find myself immediately recognising every shot, every detail of that scene. I remember feeling extremely uneasy and nauseous while this scene is playing.” —forgotten-eloquence, sixpenceeeeeestories.com

7. Jiffy peanut butter vs. Jif.



jif.com | YouTube

Probably conflated with its competitor Skippy; possibly a brand of PB that some of America has never known — but between Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Lube, and Jiffy baking mix, it’s easy to see why the name is ingrained in so many minds.

“I remember the commercials for it. I also remember the slang people would say often, ‘I’ll be there in a jiffy!’ (i.e. quickly) I then remember the saying changing to, ‘I’ll be there in a jif!’ I just attributed it to a shortening of the word, to be quicker to say.” —Reddit user EpiphanyEmma

8. “Mirror, mirror, on the wall” is not actually a line in Disney’s Snow White. We all remember this iconic line as “Mirror, mirror,” right? Surprise! The actual line reads, “Magic mirror on the wall.” Mind = blown, childhood = ruined.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

"I remember ’Mirror, Mirror on the wall.’ I watched the video and that blew me away!"—Reddit user dotchianni

9: Chick-Fil-A vs. Chic-Fil-A.

Imgur | Reddit

Some claim that Chick-Fil-A spelled a few different ways. Are we butchering the spelling, or is this another example of the universe engaging in some … fowl play?

"Oh, thank God I’m not the only one. When I was a kid, my dad, sis, and I would drive by Chik-fil-a all the time. I have a vague memory of being inside once and the cows writing ’Eet mor chiken’ on both the inside and outside artwork. Years later, my ex and I lived down the street from a Chic-fil-a. I was confused by the name. Had it changed? We ate there often over the next few years. Now, I’ve noticed Chick-fil-a is the spelling. What stuck out for me, was the odd spelling before and the first time I noticed it change. Now it’s Chick-fil-a and it’s happened again! I thought I was going crazy, and maybe I am, but I can honestly say it went from Chik-fil-a to Chic-fil-a and now Chick-fil-a. This is so weird for me." —Reddit user Thewolfshifter

10. There’s a Henry VIII turkey-leg portrait somewhere out there.

Lots of people swear they remember growing up and seeing a famous portrait of Henry VIII holding a turkey leg. The only problem? It doesn’t exist.

"I have a distinct memory of seeing the painting in a book when I was a child, and not even recognizing that the object in his hand was a turkey leg. I thought it was some kind of club-like weapon. I remember looking at the picture with my mom, and her correcting me that it wasn’t a club, it was a turkey leg." —Reddit user 2zm95l

Follow Claudia on Twitter and Instagram.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io