My best friend was called Tory, short for Victoria (although I never figured out her real name until after I moved away). When my mum told me about the 'Tory party' I first thought that it was her birthday party that I wasn't invited to. When she explained what the 'Tory party' really was I thought that my friend was really secretly their leader. Thankfully, I figured out that I was wrong before I told anyone.

Logica

When I was young, I saw on TV that the US President was named Reagan, which is very similar to the German word "Regen" (meaning "rain") so I thought the Americans say "Reagan" for rain.

Stefan, Germany

i believed that the president was the king of the world so i was sooo excited when our 1st grade class wrote to him and got a reply! then when the president changed i started crying because i always thought that when you became president you died 4 years later! hahahahaha wow i was really stupid

zlata

When I was young, I was driving in the car with my father, and they were talking about politics on the radio. The words "Democrat" and "Republicans" kept coming up, and I asked my dad what the difference was. His response was, "Well, last year they elected a Democrat. In a few years they'll get sick of him and elect a Republican. Then the same thing will happen and they'll elect a Democrat again." This was my understanding of the U.S. political system until around my senior year in high school, when I discovered that it was a bit more complex than that. As my knowledge of politics grew, however, I came to realize that my dad had pretty much summed things up pretty accurately.

Anon

When I was young, president Bush was president. For some reason, I thought Abraham Lincoln was the president that came right before bush, instead of Clinton. I recall bragging that I was alive when Abraham Lincoln was around. No one believed be, though.

Anon

I believed the Frank Prudue of chicken fame and Ed Koch, former mayor of NYC, were brothers.

And my mom told me it was true. She still laughs about it.

Anon

being from england when i was young i used to think that the british and usa boycott of the 1980 moscow olympics was due to the cricketer Geoff Boycott. it was the only boycott i knew at the time!

wicket

When I was a kid, I used to believe that when adults voted, they all went out into a big field and raised their hands when someone called out the name of who they were voting for, like in class.

Shawn

I used to believe that communist is someone who wears weird military uniform, grows a bushy moustache (I watched too many films in primary school) and hates Church and religion - so since my neighbour never goes to church and isn't shy to tell he doesn't believe in God, I was convinced that he is civil form of communist. Then when in school, at history lesson, our teacher told as that communist countries like Soviet Union or Northern Korea were to blame for genocides of millions and that communism is the most bloody form of governing in history. I was scared like hell because putting two and two together I came to conclusion that we live next to insane murderer!

Still not leftwinger

I used to believe that the state seal (you know, the picture on the state flag) was an actual animal seal! I believed that every state had an animal seal at the state capitol! I believed this until I was in 7th grade.

Lauren Carroll

When i was little, my dad always watched the news. I kept hearing things about a black hole in China. And for about a year i thought a black hole had hit China and it had been wiped of the map

Anon

I believed I saw Abraham Lincoln on a cross-country car trip when I was 7 years old. I "shook his hand" at a motel in Illinois. I argued with my 2nd grade teacher who called my mother. She explained it was a "stand-in" for Lincoln.

Judy Guffey

I used to think that the poster of Margaret Thatcher on the door of the Conservative Party office was in fact the lady that lived there.

Sam

When I was a preschool kid, I used to believe that kings and queens only existed in fairy tales, like the other characters (dragons, fairies and things like that) that Mom had said were "just make-believe". Seeing news stories from England on TV impressed and confused me at the same time: "Mommy, is that Elizabeth lady real?"

Ingeborg S. Nordén

I belief that it was Ingvar Carlsson who killed Olof palme The swedish primeminstry only becurse Ingvar want to be the new primeministry

Andreas

Up until I was about 15, my dad had convinced me that Karl Marx was one of the Marx Brothers, I was eventually corrected by my teacher in front of the entire class.

Mike S.

The Whit house down the street was the real "White House".

SG

When I was a kid, I used to believe the government (all) were always good people who wanted to do good and improve life for everyone.

... then I learned about dictators and false promises from democratic leaders.

Anon

When I was about 7 or 8, I started hearing people call JFK, "Jack," instead of, "John," like I'd always heard before. I knew he had a brother, but at the time I didn't know his name, so I just assumed that Jack was the brother. I think I even commented that it would have been funny if Jack had married Jackie. Little did I know...

XiuZan

I was born in 1971. I don't remember Nixon resigning. I do remember Carter being elected president. All my memories of Gerald Ford, however, have somehow morphed into Chevy Chase falling off the podium on 'Saturday Night Live.'

queeneve