Are you sure that you haven't clicked the star on the location bar?

Problems with bookmarks and history not working properly can be caused by a corrupted places.sqlite database file.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Bookmarks_history_and_toolbar_buttons_not_working_-_Firefox
• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/Bookmarks+not+saved#w_fix-the-bookmarks-file

You can try to check and repair the places database with this extension:

• https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/places-maintenance/

• "Most Visited" and "Recently Bookmarked" are examples of the so called Smart Bookmarks folders and are not real existing folders.
• Such smart folders show a list created by a query of the places.sqlite database that stores the bookmarks and the history in Firefox.
• Smart folder lists show a maximum of 10 entries by default.
• Bookmarks that show up in a smart folder list are stored elsewhere in another folder and any changes made are applied to the real bookmark or history item.
• If you remove an entry then the list is shifted up and a new entry that wasn't shown previously is added to show 10 entries.
• If you add a new bookmark or visit a website then a new item is added at the top and the entry at the bottom disappears from that list.
• Items that disappear from the list are not gone, but merely do not show up anymore in that list.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by Are you sure that you haven't clicked the star on the location bar? What star? What location bar?

The location bar is the bar where you type the address of the website in.
That bar has a bookmark star and a combined reload/stop button at the far right end.
If you click the star then you bookmark the current address and the star get highlighted.

See:

• https://support.mozilla.org/kb/how-do-i-use-bookmarks

Thanks for your help. I clicked on Bookmarks>Bookmarks Toolbar and deleted one of the listings. Forgot what it was called, but by deleting it, all of those unwanted bookmarks were deleted. Hope it stays that way.