5 verifications about McDonald's McDonald's ×
“Historical rolling-return data for the S&P 500 Index show negative returns in 46% of one-day periods, 38% of one-month periods, 25% of one-year periods, 16% of three-year periods, 10% of five-year periods, 6% of 10-year periods, 2% of 15-year periods, and 0% of 20-year periods.”
The historical pattern is well supported: negative S&P 500 rolling returns became substantially less frequent as holding periods lengthened, and most listed percentages are close to published estimates. However, results vary with the sample period and return methodology, and several sources report 0%, rather than 2%, for 15-year periods. The claim is therefore broadly accurate but overly precise.
“Historical rolling-return data show that the S&P 500 Index had negative returns in 46% of one-day periods, 38% of one-month periods, 25% of one-year periods, 16% of three-year periods, 10% of five-year periods, 6% of 10-year periods, 2% of 15-year periods, and 0% of 20-year periods.”
The broad pattern is historically valid, but the stated percentage sequence is not established as a single, reproducible result. Available calculations use different periods, frequencies, and return definitions and materially disagree at several horizons, including one, five, 10, and 15 years. Without identifying the dataset and methodology, these exact figures present dataset-dependent estimates as universal historical facts.
“Jamie Oliver alleged that McDonald's uses meat from animals unfit for human consumption.”
Jamie Oliver did publicly attack McDonald’s over processed beef trimmings and called them “not fit for human consumption.” But the evidence does not show he alleged McDonald’s used meat from animals that were themselves unfit for people. That wording overstates and alters his documented claim.
“On average, McDonald's hamburgers have a worse overall nutrition score than the average fast-food hamburger sold in the United States.”
The claim is not supported by the evidence. No cited high-quality source establishes an average U.S. fast-food hamburger nutrition score or shows McDonald’s falling below it on a defined composite measure. The limited direct comparisons available more often suggest McDonald’s basic hamburgers are average or relatively better than many competitors, not worse overall.
“The number of public libraries in the United States exceeds the number of McDonald's restaurant locations in the United States.”
Federal data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services reports over 17,000 public library locations (main libraries, branches, and bookmobiles) in the United States. Multiple independent sources place U.S. McDonald's restaurant locations at approximately 13,600–13,800. The margin of roughly 3,200+ locations comfortably supports the claim. While some readers may think "libraries" means only standalone buildings, the standard institutional definition counts all public library service outlets — the same unit-of-analysis used for restaurant locations.