What is the Mandela Effect? - Mandela Effect - original site Skip to content Mandela Effect – original site Menu Homepage What is the Mandela Effect? What Causes the Mandela Effect? Mandela Effect Books The Original List What is the Mandela Effect? The Mandela Effect is when people clearly recall an event in history – something very specific – but historical records show that something else happened. That’s all it is. Just a very clear memory a person has, but it doesn’t match historical records. It’s a phenomenon. So far, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to why some memories are widespread… but seem false. At this website, I offer my own explanations. How you explain it… that’s up to you. A brief history of the “Mandela Effect” The phrase “Mandela Effect” emerged at Dragon Con’s “green room” in 2009. That’s when multiple people said they recalled a 20th-century funeral they’d thought was Nelson Mandela’s. Though they knew Mandela was still alive in 2009, they couldn’t explain what they’d seen on TV, years earlier. I’m Fiona Broome. I was part of that Dragon Con green room conversation. I’m not sure which of us – Dragon Con’s security manager, Shadowe, or my husband, or even me – coined the “Mandela Effect” phrase. Almost immediately, I started this website to see how many shared similar memories. Also, I was looking for a reasonable explanation for the apparent confusion related to Nelson Mandela. I wasn’t trying to prove anything. Not then. Not now. Early discussions were flippant and whimsical, leaning in to sci-fi speculation. Then, the topic became more serious, as more odd memories were reported. Many were difficult to explain. By mid-2016, this site seemed to hit critical mass. (That was an odd coincidence with the weasel/CERN glitch, though – of course – correlation does not imply causation.) As interest in this topic surged, two problems emerged. The first was the cost of hosting the site as traffic overloaded existing servers. Frequent DDoS attacks made things worse. People had the idea I was making money from this site. Umm… no, I didn’t. TV shows and movies used the Mandela Effect name freely; it wasn’t trademarked. Ditto various gatherings and events that used the name. (I was amused by the related X-Files episode: Season 11, Episode 4, “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat.” Though the show’s producers never contacted me about that episode, I love good parody!) The other was topic manipulation by trolls and pranksters. They’d post a preposterous “memory” just to see how many people would reply, “Me, too.” And to fuel those responses, they’d return to this site and – with a new username (or two or three) – to create the appearance of lots of people remembering whatever-it-was. (In most cases, I could see those pranksters’ IP numbers. I knew what they were doing, and deleted their comments. But really, running this site on my own… there was no way I had time for that nonsense.) So first, to deter opportunists, I closed comments. Then, I began moving the entire contents of this site to books, starting with the uncategorized comments. They’re at Amazon, and you can read those books FREE in Kindle Unlimited. (The only authentic books feature me as the one – and only – author: Fiona Broome. And I donate all book profits to charity*.) I have no connection with other books, movies, forums, websites, and conferences using the Mandela Effect name. Earliest Mandela Effect memories If you like to read what others remember, this 15-book series includes over 4,000 more comments by visitors. Starting in 2010, people reported thousands of odd – but eerily consistent – memories. The earliest included David Soul’s death (still alive in 2021) and 52 United States (in this reality, it’s 50). Others recalled Billy Graham’s funeral prior to 2012 (he died in 2018), a memory of Berenstein Bears books (George Takei popularized that topic), and the color sequence on Pepsi products and the Chevron sign. For more early reported memories, see the Major Memories page. Or read the 15-book series of over 4,000 visitors’ comments that were part of this original website. *Book profits are shared with charities including: HALO No-Kill Animal Shelter, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Save the Children, and Nature Conservancy. Pages About Fiona Broome Copyright Legal Notices & Privacy Policy Mandela Effect – Free DIY T-Shirts Mandela Effect – Where to Read the Original Archives The Original Mandela Effect List Welcome! What Causes the Mandela Effect? What is the Mandela Effect? Since 2009, Mandela Effect research has been a personal project of author Fiona Broome. Copyright 2009 - 2022, all rights reserved. Homepage What is the Mandela Effect? What Causes the Mandela Effect? Mandela Effect Books The Original List Mandela Effect – original site Proudly powered by WordPress We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.Cookie SettingsAccept AllManage consent Close Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the ... Necessary Necessary Always Enabled Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. CookieDurationDescriptioncookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. Functional Functional Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Performance Performance Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Analytics Analytics Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Others Others Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. SAVE & ACCEPT