12. The Cottingley Fairies
In 1917, two English girls staged photographs of “fairies” in their garden, convincing many—including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—that the magical creatures were real. The Cottingley Fairies captivated the public for years. Today, similar photo hoaxes would instantly trend as viral Photoshop fakes or manipulated Instagram images. Read more about this enchanting deception at The Guardian.
