The Mandela Effect is a phenomenon where a large group of people share a false memory of a particular event or fact. This effect has been named after Nelson Mandela, as many people mistakenly believed he died in prison in the 1980s.

In reality, he was released, became president of South Africa, and didn't die until decades later.

Let's explore 12 of the most confusing Mandela Effects people can't believe are false memories.

1- The Missing Cornucopia on Fruit of The Loom Tags

Fruit of the Loom is an American clothing manufacturing company that produces casual clothing and underwear. The brand has an iconic and distinct logo that features various colorful fruits. However, though most consumers who have purchased Fruit of the Loom products insist that there has always been a cornucopia behind the fruit, there has never been a cornucopia.

2- It's Berenstain Bears, Not Bernstein Bears

This one seems to be the most commonly discussed Mandela Effect. Readers of the popular children's storybook series The Berenstain Bears mistakenly remember it being spelled “Berenstein” or “Berstein.” Fans of the series may not be able to agree on the correct spelling, but they're all certain that there was always an “e” in “stein.”

Supposedly, the explanation for this is that there was misprinted Berenstain Bears merchandise which muddied the waters surrounding the correct spelling of the books. Some people ended up with books and VHS tapes that did, in fact, contain the wrong spelling.

3- The Monopoly Man Doesn't Have A Monocle

When I hear people discussing the different Mandela Effects, I always feel like I kind of remember what they're saying but only vaguely, and I can never be 100% sure. However, when it comes to the Monopoly man, I'm sure the designers of the matrix are trying to pull the wool over my eyes!

Since when does the Monopoly man not have a monocle? He has a top hat, for crying out loud; what character with a top hat doesn't have a monocle? However, skeptics point out that people are just confusing features of the Monopoly Man with Mr. Peanut, who does have a monocle.

4- It's “Magic Mirror on The Wall,” Not “Mirror, Mirror on The Wall”

My entire life, I have always uttered the line “mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” when quoting the evil queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarves as well as the live-action adaptation Snow White and the Huntsman. Even though the actual line spoken by the evil queen is “Magic mirror on the wall,” many people remember it as “Mirror, mirror on the wall.”

Creepy, right? Here's a possible explanation. In the original German Brother's Grimm story, the queen says “Spieglein, Spieglein a der Wand,” which means little mirror on the wall. However, in some English translations of the story, the line has been translated to “mirror, mirror on the wall,” which could have contributed to the popular misconception.

5- Pikachu's Tail Doesn't Have Black Detailing

Despite the fact that Pikachu's tail is entirely yellow, many people remember him having black stripes or black detailing on it.

This could be because many other Pokémon characters, such as Raichu and Pichu, have black stripes or detailing on their tails, which could have led to confusion and a false memory of Pikachu's tail having the same feature.

This could also have to do with the many variations of Pikachu's appearance over the years, between the anime and video games, some of which included iterations where Pikachu has a black and yellow color scheme.

6- Nelson Mandela Didn't Die in Prison

This is the original Mandela Effect — this false memory was so ubiquitous that the phenomenon was named after it. Most kids who learned about Nelson Mandela and the history of apartheid in South Africa swear they were taught that he died in prison, which would have been in the 1980s.

However, he was released from prison in 1990 and became the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. This could be due to several factors, including the fact that Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years, which could have led people to believe he died in captivity. Many political and social movements in the 1980s called for Mandela's release, which could have created a sense of urgency and concern among people who were not following the news closely.

7- Hannibal Lecter Never Said “Hello, Clarice”

The Mandela Effect surrounding the line “Hello, Clarice” is a common misconception many people remember from the 1991 thriller The Silence of the Lambs. Although the character Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins, never says this line in the movie, many people remember it as one of his iconic phrases.

This could be because the line has been parodied and referenced in popular culture many times, including by Jim Carrey in The Cable Guy. People may have misattributed lines from this movie with the original. On top of that, Hannibal Lecter does greet Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster, with a similar greeting in the film, saying, “Good evening, Clarice” in a later scene.

8- Darth Vader Doesn't Say, “Luke, I Am Your Father”

“Luke, I am your father” is an iconic misquote from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, during a scene where Darth Vader reveals to Luke Skywalker that he's his father. However, the line has become muddied over time, as all sorts of viewers, die-hard fans, and even the actor himself misremember Vader saying it this way.

In reality, he says, “No, I am your father.” The butchering of the quote probably has to do with references and parodies of the quote in mainstream culture that people think they remember from the original movie. Out of context, “No, I am your father” isn't very recognizable, as someone pointed out, so adding “Luke” gives the line context.

9- Judge Judy Doesn't Have a Gavel

Did you know Judge Judy doesn't have a gavel!? I could have sworn she was known for ferociously hammering her gavel and demanding, “order in the courtroom!” but apparently, I made that up. Could it be that we're confusing Judge Judy with Judge Trudy from The Amanda Show? I never thought Judge Judy wanted to bring in the dancing lobsters, in my defense.

10- “We Are The Champions” by Queen Doesn't End With “…Of The World”

Did you know that Queen doesn't end “We are the Champions” with the lyric “… of the world”? However, most Queen fans misremember the song ending that way. This could be because Queen often performed the song this way during live performances, and the live performances are incredibly popular.

11- Tinkerbell Never Flew Around The Walt Disney Credit Intros

I simply can't believe this one. Even though there are many different versions of the Walt Disney Logo, with and without Tinkerbell, many people remember a specific animation where Tinkerbell flies over the castle in the logo and then lands on top of the “i” and uses her wand to dot it. This animation is not present in all versions of the Walt Disney logo, but many people remember it vividly.

This could be due to the fact that the Tinkerbell animation was included in some TV shows and movies featuring Disney characters, or it could be a result of the logo being altered over time, leading people to conflate different versions of the logo in their memories. There doesn't seem to be any video evidence that this animation of the logo ever existed.

12- Chick-Fil-A Isn't Spelled Chik-Fil-A

Finally, a Mandela Effect that is easily explained. For those that don't know, Chick-fil-A isn't spelled like Chik-fil-A like most people think it is, even to common frequenters of the fast food chain. However, with a little context, it's easy to understand where the confusion came from.

Chick-fil-a had these popular ads with cows holding up misspelled signs that read “Eat Mor Chikin,” a tongue-in-cheek advertisement that played on the idea that you would be sparing more cow lives. Regardless of what you think of the morbid ads, it explains where we got that “chikin” spelling from.

Source: (Reddit)..