Freethought Almanac

Lighting a candle in toxic air.

January 20: "Piltdown Man" Hoax Fossils Exposed (1953)

It was on this date, January 20, 1953, that the “Piltdown Man” fossils — found in the village of Piltdown, near the Sussex town of Lewes — were admitted to be a hoax. Touted by its discoverer, Charles Dawson, and its chief defender, paleontologist Sir Arthur Keith, as the long-sought “missing link” between ancient and modern hominids, Piltdown turned out to be a small hoax that took on a life of its own – for 45 years – because the chief hoaxer died before he could confess!

To read more, go to THIS LINK.

Originally published January 2003 by Ronald Bruce Meyer.

Ronald Bruce Meyer

Our Fearless Leader.


Daily Almanac

June 4: Susan Jacoby (1945)

It was on this date, June 4, 1945, that American writer and independent scholar Susan Jacoby was born. A journalist for the Washington Post and other publications for over 25 years, and author of the Post’s weekly column, “The Spirited Atheist,” Jacoby has authored the 1984 Pulitzer Prize finalist Wild Justice: The Evolution of Revenge, […]



Daily Almanac

Coming soon!

Follow me on twitter

@ 2020 Free Thought Almanac