True, Modern-day Urban Legends

People love passing along urban legends, regardless of any truth (or lack thereof) that may exist in them. The more bizarre or scary a legend, the more interesting it becomes to us. Strangely enough, some urban legends are actually true, or at least based on a true event.

Coca-Cola lovers exist around the world, and they seem to love telling each other the urban legend that their favorite soft drink once contained cocaine. This may seem like a typical urban legend - why would anyone put drugs in soda? - but in this case the legend is true. In 1855 the soda was named for its ingredients: kola nuts and extract of coca leaves (basis of cocaine). The original amount of coca leaves included in the recipe is not known, but by 1902 the amount was 1/400 of a grain of cocaine per ounce of syrup. By 1929, the recipe was cocaine free.

A lesser-known urban legend tells the story of a student funding college through soliciting one cent donations. The idea seems laughable to some, but in this case someone successfully did this. In 1987 Mike Hayes, a University of Illinois student, wrote to the Chicago Tribune about his idea for financing college. Writer Bob Greene wrote the story, including the request for readers to send one cent for Hayes' college fund. Less than a month later the fund had grown to the equivalent of 2.3 million pennies (many people sent more than a penny). Hayes eventually collected enough money to pay for college and graduated, providing a source for this urban legend.