We humans have been around for hundreds of thousands of years, so naturally, certain things have slipped through the cracks of our collective memory, exposing us to a distorted understanding of our past. Hopefully, this list will remedy some of that damage. We at Bored Panda searched the internet and collected the interesting, strange, and downright frightening events that people believe are forgotten way too often. Continue scrolling to check them out and upvote the ones you also think need to be remembered. After all, those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.

#1

The ‘Spanish Flu’ actually likely got its start in Kansas, USA.

It’s only called the Spanish Flu because most countries involved in WWI had a near-universal propaganda machine that only allowed good news to be published. Spain, which was neutral during the war, had one of the only ‘free presses’ in the world. They then were the only ones reporting on the massive deaths caused by the flu, leading the rest of the world to believe that they were the source or the most affected. In fact, the death rate was near-universal and destroyed some entire cities/communities in the US and Canada, specifically those of Inuit and First Nations communities.

Image credits: WeeklyPie

#2

In 2017, Facebook’s AI team created chatbots that developed a shorthand language to communicate more efficiently. While this seemed unusual, it was a result of their programming to optimize communication. The experiment was adjusted because the bots’ language wasn’t useful for the research goals, not because of any fear or mystery surrounding their behavior.

Image credits: Chris Baraniuk

#3

The ancient Greeks, inventors of democracy, would elect their officials to one year terms. Each officials’ finances were audited at the beginning and end of their term. If they were found guilty of corruption, they could face severe punishments, including fines or exile, though execution was not a common outcome for most officials.

Image credits: National Geographic

#4

Many people know about the Suffragettes who won the vote for some UK women in 1918. However, many people don’t realize that before 1918, not all men had the right to vote either. While voting had been gradually expanded over the previous 80 years, it was still restricted by property ownership and wealth. The 1918 Representation of the People Act granted the vote to all men over 21, as well as women over 30 who met property qualifications. This was a significant step toward universal suffrage in the UK, though full equal voting rights for men and women were only achieved in 1928.

Image credits: this-guy-

#5

The US secretly injecting people (typically poor / minorities, including children and pregnant women) with plutonium and other radioactive materials, and then studying them for decades. When they finally admitted it, the report was released at the same time of the OJ verdict to bury the story.

Image credits: afCeG6HVB0IJ

#6

In 2006, a gamma ray burst was detected from a distant galaxy, but it did not strip away Earth’s atmosphere or pose a threat to life. If a stronger, more direct GRB had hit Earth, it could have caused significant damage, including potentially harming the ozone layer, which shields us from harmful radiation.

Image credits: ESO

#7

There was a huge fight about African Americans using the public pool in Mr. Roger’s actual neighborhood so he made a episode on his show where he and a African American guest were sharing a kiddy pool and talking about being nice to people even if they look or sound different. He taught a whole generation that racism isn’t fair or right.

Image credits: LunaEclipso999

#8

The katana, the famous sword of the Japanese Samurai, was never an important military weapon. Samurai went into battle armed with bows or polearms, swords were just backup weapons. The katana didn’t become prominent until the Edo period, when the country was unified under one ruler and warfare between Samurai had ceased. The katana was primarily a status symbol, valued because only members of the Samurai class were allowed to carry them.

Image credits: DanTheTerrible

#9

Cleopatra wasn’t just a political mastermind—she was also a linguistic prodigy, speaking nine languages, including Egyptian, making her the first ruler of her Greek family to do so. But here’s the truly overlooked bit of history: when Julius Caesar was trapped in Alexandria, Cleopatra didn’t just wait around for help. In a bold move, she had herself smuggled into his presence wrapped in a carpet (or some versions say a sack). Her servant, fluent in Latin, got them past the Roman guards, and when the carpet was unrolled, Cleopatra emerged, cleverly catching Caesar by surprise. This dramatic entrance wasn’t just about a queen’s charm; it was a calculated risk that helped secure her future—and it worked. Despite not having bathed in days, she managed to win over Caesar with her sharp intellect and undeniable presence. It’s a moment that shows just how far Cleopatra was willing to go to maintain power and influence in a male-dominated world.

Image credits: Evan Andrews

#10

During the battle of Waterloo, one of the most treasured pieces of “loot” was the teeth of the deceased soldiers. ~200 years ago, it was rather common to use the teeth of dead people in the creation of dentures.

Image credits: GrandpaJoeSloth

#11

That doing laundry was hard, dull work. Very little glamour, not hugely interesting, it was smelly and the women that did it were often unfairly depicted as whores because it was some of the best money they could make.

Thank god for washing machines now.
I have a distinct memory of when I was younger, I was really interested in great inventions and inventors and such.

I asked my grandmother what she thought was the most important invention of her life, of the twentieth century, expecting her to answer something like the airplane, or the car, or the moonlanding or the television.

She said it was the washing machine, which I thought was really stupid as a child. The television is so much cooler than a stupid household item like a washing machine!

Now that I’m an adult I realize the washing machine saved hours and hours of labour for 50% of the population. My grandmother was a farmer. She had 11 children.

Probably the washing machine has done more for the emancipation of women than universal suffrage and the last 25 years of feminist writing combined.

Image credits: reddit.com

#12

The Candy Bomber. After World War II, when Berlin was divided, the US and UK airlifted supplies into West Berlin to counter the Soviet blockade. One pilot, Gail Halvorsen, started dropping candy to children, tying small parachutes to the sweets. To let them know it was his plane, he would “wiggle” the wings before the drop. This act of kindness grew into “Operation Little Vittles,” inspiring other pilots to join in. The campaign became a symbol of American goodwill and helped shift public perception of aid efforts in post-war Europe.

Image credits: OtherRocks

#13

The Great Wall of China wasn’t built all at once it’s a patchwork of different walls from different dynasties

Image credits: emokitten_xoxo

#14

The Bengal Famine of 1943, which resulted in the deaths of around 2-3 million people, is often linked to Churchill’s government due to wartime policies that worsened the crisis. While there’s no definitive proof that Churchill intentionally caused the famine, his administration’s actions—such as diverting food supplies and failing to send adequate aid—are widely criticized for exacerbating the disaster. The tragedy was largely overshadowed by the global events of WWII, and its impact on India and Churchill’s role in it has been the subject of ongoing debate among historians.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#15

Norway Knighted a Penguin. His plaque officially states he’s the Colonel-in-Chief of their King’s Guard.

Image credits: reddit.com

#16

In 1847, Robert Liston performed an amputation in 25 seconds, operating so quickly that he accidentally amputated his assistant’s fingers as well. Both patient and assistant later died of sepsis, and a spectator reportedly died of shock, resulting in the only known surgical procedure with a 300% mortality rate.

Image credits: Montuvito_G

#17

There was a Japanese soldier named Hiro Onoda who never realized ww2 was over until 1974. He was sent to a small island in the Philippines to spy on the American forces. He evaded capture and remained in the jungle to carry out his mission for the next 30 years. His former superior had to come out of retirement to convince him the war was over.

Image credits: morethan1problem

#18

Fidel Castro loved dairy products so much that he built a massive ice cream parlor, Coppelia, which still operates in Havana. He also oversaw an ambitious breeding program to create a heat-resistant, high-yield dairy cow. One such cow, Ubre Blanca (“White Udder”), became famous for breaking global milk production records and was treated as a national symbol of Cuba’s agricultural progress.

Image credits: Imnotgaymike

#19

Louis the 19th was King of France for 20 minutes.

Image credits: 6lesbian9

#20

A Chinese emperor once ran in circles around a pillar to escape an assassin. He survived.

Image credits: awesomeface357

#21

The 2nd Congo War. This was the deadliest conflict since World War 2 with over 5 million people killed. Most people have never heard of it despite it ending less than 20 years ago.

Image credits: Spanglertastic

#22

That Tibet under the Dalai Lamas was a pretty brutal theocracy with a medieval criminal code. They still punished theft by chopping off hands. Also in the 1930s, they made two attempts to expand south into Chinese territory, though granted Great Britain was financially involved. Note none of this excuses the Chinese invasion, but there is a tendency to see Tibet through rose coloured glasses these days.

Image credits: Mission-Landscape-17

#23

Elon Musk didn’t found PayPal or Tesla and has made no significant intellectual contribution to any field of programming or engineering.

I know it’s recent history but still, not enough people want to talk about it.

Image credits: SuperfluousPedagogue

#24

Picasso would have big dinner parties in restaurants and draw on the check so it wouldn’t be cashed. I know someone that has one of these checks. It’s just a doodle but it’s worth more than cashing it.

Image credits: TheLastZimaDrinker

#25

An actually true fact about Liechtenstein is that Switzerland accidentally “invaded” Liechtenstein during a Swiss army exercise when some soldiers got lost and accidentally walked into Liechtenstein. On two separate occasions. So Switzerland has accidentally invaded Liechtenstein, twice.

Image credits: tiarna_

#26

Humans weren’t familiar with the concept of extinction until the fur trade wiped out most of the sea otters in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. They just thought the animals went to an undiscovered corner of the world.

Image credits: urgehal666

#27

The Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 were famously thwarted by typhoons, which the Japanese called “kamikaze” (divine winds). These storms played a crucial role in stopping the Mongol forces, but they were not the only typhoons recorded in the area, as typhoons are common during the season in that region.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#28

Humanity was likely nearly wiped out about 900,000 years ago when our ancestors were reduced to about 1280 breeding individuals and stayed around that many for 117,000 years.

Image credits: limbodog

#29

Coca Cola still uses coca leaves in their formula but just for the flavor. They are the only US company that is legally allowed to import coca leaves. The processed leaves are then sold to a pharmaceutical company.

Image credits: sn0m0ns

#30

The Great Stink of London in 1858.

One summer the heat dried up the River Thames (where all the human waste went) and an unbearable smell pervaded throughout the entire city. All Parliament representatives were eventually coerced out of their homes outside of London to convene and solve the issue. Much to the citizens’ glee, Parliament was held in their building on the bank of the River Thames, resulting in one of the fastest Parliament decisions ever made to reform the London sewer system.

Image credits: BallinFC

#31

The last time Liechtenstein went to war was the Austro-Prussian war. The fact that sounds like fiction is that they were forced to send 80 soldiers… and came back with 81. They made a friend in the form of an Austrian liaison officer.

Image credits: Matthiey

#32

The Rif region of Morocco has one of the highest cancer rates in the country. Studies suggest this is linked to the Spanish military’s use of mustard gas and other chemical weapons against Berber fighters during the Rif War (1921–1926). Despite Spain having signed the Geneva Protocol in 1925, which banned chemical weapons, no formal apology has ever been issued for their use in Morocco.

Image credits: Pokoirl

#33

Psychological experiments were often highly unethical historically, experiments with children were particularly cruel a lot of the time.

Image credits: PussayDESTROYAAA_420

#34

The year 536 was deemed the worst year to be alive. Volcanic eruptions caused prolonged dark sky for up to 18 months. This then caused a mini ice age, crop failures and plague over the next 10 years killing millions.

Image credits: little-bird89

#35

Abraham Lincoln grew his famous beard because a little girl said he would look better with one.

Image credits: reddit.com

#36

Ringo Starr once decided the Beatles didn’t need him and decided to take a holiday with the intention of never coming back. When John, Paul and George found out they went all the way to where he was staying just to convince him to come back

Image credits: reddit.com

#37

Churchill’s mother, Jennie Jerome, was an American socialite from Brooklyn. In the late 19th century, England’s nobility was very cash-poor, and many aristocrats married wealthy American women to save their estates. Jennie married Lord Randolph Churchill, and while rumors persist that she was already pregnant with Winston before their marriage, there is no definitive proof. She had numerous affairs and was married twice more in her life.

Image credits: MonkeyCatDog

#38

Canada and Denmark were involved in a friendly territorial dispute over Hans Island since the 1930s. The uninhabited island lies between Greenland (a Danish territory) and Canada. For decades, officials from both countries playfully replaced each other’s flags and left bottles of schnapps or Canadian whisky with welcoming notes. In 2022, the two nations peacefully resolved the dispute by splitting the island.

Image credits: RedInk223

#39

The Netherlands sends Canada 20,000 tulips every year for liberating them during WW2. The Netherlands also has a cemetery dedicated to Canadian fallen troops.

Image credits: redman9000

#40

Enrico Dandolo, the Doge of Venice, played a key role in the Fourth Crusade’s conquest of Constantinople in 1204. He was blind and around 90 years old at the time. Under his leadership, the Crusaders first attacked Zara (modern-day Zadar, Croatia), a Christian city, leading to Venice’s excommunication by the Pope.

Later, they diverted the Crusade to Constantinople, where they sacked the city, marking the only time it was conquered by a Western force before the Ottoman Empire took it in 1453.

Image credits: fmshobojoe

#41

While educated people, including ancient Greeks, knew the Earth was round by at least the 5th century BCE, the idea of a flat Earth was never widely held in medieval Europe. Throughout the Middle Ages, most scholars and educated figures understood that the Earth was spherical. The notion that medieval Europeans believed in a flat Earth is a misconception largely created in the 19th century.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#42

The Phoenix Lights were a mass sighting of unexplained aerial lights over Arizona in 1997. Thousands of witnesses reported seeing a massive, silent, V-shaped craft moving slowly overhead, while others saw a series of bright lights in formation. The official explanation was military flares, but the event remains one of the most widely debated UFO sightings to this day.

Image credits: JeffCogs80

#43

In February and March 2022, devastating floods hit New South Wales, especially Lismore, with over 1000mm of rain in a few days. Thousands were displaced, and many homes were damaged. Civilians and local volunteers played a key role in rescue efforts, though some criticized the government’s response, claiming it was slow. The military and emergency services were involved, but concerns grew over the speed of aid and media coverage. This disaster highlighted the vulnerability of Australia to extreme weather events, intensified by climate change.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#44

128 billion dollars went missing in my country Turkey. It is talked about for about 3 months here

Image credits: lul-123

#45

The escape from Antarctica by the members of the Antarctic expedition led by Ernest Shackleton. The stuff they went through was unbelievable. Their boat, the Endurance was crushed by ice floes. They were stranded on the floes for over a year in temperatures well below freezing. They then took to three boats around 22 feet in length across the antarctic ocean looking for land. There were about 10 men in each boat. They missed reaching land by just a few miles at times. Two thirds of them got stranded on Elephant Island surrounded by ice while one of the boats went out in search of rescue. That boat made it through the Drake Passage, one of the deadliest places in the ocean. All but three of them got stranded with little food and water while the three men who left became the first people the cross South Georgia on foot. They found civilization. Rescued the men who came through the Drake Passage. Waited months until they could rescue those on Elephant Island. Every single person who came on the initial voyage survived with the worst lasting consequence being a single foot amputation.

Image credits: LordofHopeHomestuck

#46

Unsinkable Sam is the nickname of a cat who survived the sinking of three different ships during World War II. Originally known as Oscar, the cat was aboard the German battleship Bismarck, which was sunk in 1941. He was rescued, only to survive the sinking of the HMS Cossack and the HMS Ark Royal. After these miraculous survivals, Sam became a symbol of luck and was retired from naval service, earning the nickname “Unsinkable Sam.”

Image credits: Wikipedia

#47

On February 11, 1985, the Soviet space station Salyut 7 lost contact with mission control, leaving it adrift and unpowered. A daring rescue mission was launched, led by cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh. After docking with the station, they discovered all systems were shut down and the interior was freezing cold. Wearing fur-lined winter clothing, they restored power and repaired the station, successfully bringing it back online. This remains one of the most remarkable space rescues in history.

Image credits: reddit.com

#48

European settlers introduced rabbits to Australia in 1859, when Thomas Austin released 24 rabbits on his estate in Victoria for hunting. With no natural predators and a favorable environment, their population exploded, leading to one of the worst ecological disasters in Australian history. Today, millions of rabbits continue to cause extensive damage to the ecosystem

Image credits: CrypticZM

#49

Jack a Baboon who was employed to change rail signals.

“After initial skepticism, the railway decided to officially employ Jack once his job competency was verified. The baboon was paid twenty cents a day, and a half-bottle of beer each week. It is widely reported that in his nine years of employment with the railroad, Jack never made a mistake.”

Image credits: emoji_wut

#50

In 1956 a man named Tommy Fitzpatrick stole a small plane from New Jersey for a bet and then landed it perfectly on the narrow street in front of the bar he had been drinking at in Manhattan. Two years later, he did it again after someone didn’t believe he had done it the first time.

Image credits: -eDgAR-

#51

Woodrow Wilson was mentally and emotionally incapacitated by a massive stroke in October 1919, and his wife and doctors essentially ran the country until Harding took office in 1921. Some historians refer to Edith Wilson as “the first female president.”

Image credits: reddit.com

#52

The Battle of Karansebes

During a war with the Ottomans, the Austrian army of 100,000 men were camped around the town of Karansebes. A contingent of Hussars crossed the nearby river to scout for Ottomans, but didn’t find any. They did fine a bunch of Romanian villagers who sold them barrels of Shnapps.

A bit later some of the infantry arrived and demanded some of the Shnapps. The Hussars refused and made a makeshift fort around the barrels. A fight started and one of the infantry shot their rifle. This caused panic and the Romanian infantry shouted “Turcii” (Turks). This caused both groups to flee into a panic into the camp screaming the Turks have arrived!

The army, composed of Austrians, Romanians, Serbs, Croats, and Italians didn’t speak the same language. So when they saw a bunch of infantry and hussars running through the camp some thought it was a cavalry charge! An artillery officer gave the order to start shooting the cannons. It didn’t help that a German officer was shouting “Halt!” In German and everyone thought it was “Allah!”.

The camp awoke thinking they were in the middle of battle. Legend has it that it resulted in 10,000 deaths, but modern scholars think closer to 1000.

This so thoroughly demoralized the Austrian that they withdrew.

Two days later the Ottomans arrived, finding a field of dead and wounded soldiers and easily took the city.

Image credits: Chewybunny

#53

The Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) was the third deadliest war in history, causing an estimated 20–30 million deaths. It was led by Hong Xiuquan, a man who claimed to be the younger brother of Jesus and sought to overthrow the Qing Dynasty to establish a quasi-Christian theocracy in China. The war devastated the country, killing 10% of China’s population at the time.

Note: There is no historical connection between General Tso (Zuo Zongtang) and the chicken dish named after him, which was created in 20th-century Taiwan or the U.S..

Image credits: BricksFriend

#54

On Christmas Day in 1914, during World War I, soldiers on both sides of the Western Front, particularly in Belgium and France, spontaneously declared a ceasefire. They celebrated Christmas together by singing carols, exchanging small gifts, and even playing football in no-man’s land. Many soldiers, writing in their diaries, were surprised at how friendly the enemy was and even expressed hopes to meet again after the war. However, once the military leaders found out about these informal celebrations, they banned any future interactions between the two sides. Though there were some attempts to reconnect in following years during holidays like Easter and Christmas, soldiers who tried were often punished or even killed.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#55

Napoleon was not actually short; he was around 5’7″, which was average for his time. The misconception came from British propaganda and a misinterpretation of French measurement units, which made him seem smaller than he actually was.

Image credits: Ndwith-urlife

#56

Wojtek was a bear that served in the Polish 22nd Artillery Supply Company. During his service, Wojtek was a huge morale boost to the men, wrestling multiple soldiers for fun, eating lit cigarettes, and even carrying artillery shells during battle.

While he was not officially promoted, his unit jokingly referred to him as a corporal.

After the war, Wojtek was sent to Edinburgh Zoo, where he was frequently visited by former soldiers who had served alongside him. There is a common myth that the Polish artillery unit changed its logo to a bear carrying an artillery shell, but this was never an official change.

Image credits: Denver718

#57

Pirates often operated under a form of democracy, where crews had a say in decisions and shared loot according to agreed-upon rules. They sometimes showed mercy to captives, though they were also known for being ruthless. While piracy offered some women like Anne Bonny and Mary Read the rare opportunity to escape societal constraints by disguising themselves as men to join pirate crews, it was a dangerous and often desperate profession. Pirates also had relatively good medical care for their time, though it was rudimentary and mostly focused on treating injuries sustained during battles or harsh living conditions.

Image credits: History.com

#58

While Vlad the Impaler is often remembered for his brutality, he used psychological warfare to intimidate his enemies, particularly the Ottoman Empire. One of his most famous military actions was the Night Attack at Târgoviște in 1462, where he and a small group of men disguised themselves as Ottoman soldiers to infiltrate the enemy camp. The goal was to assassinate Sultan Mehmed II, but when that failed, Vlad spread chaos by pretending to be an Ottoman officer and issuing false orders in fluent Turkish. This tactic contributed to the demoralization of the Ottoman forces, forcing them to retreat.

Image credits: RixReyus

#59

Diogenes was a masterful Troll.

When Alexander the Great comes into town, the only person he wants to meet is the legendary Diogenes. They find him, sitting outside (as he’s homeless) and he introduces himself and says “I’m Alexander the Great. Do you want ANYTHING?”

Diogenes turns to him and says “Get out of my sunlight”.

Alexander leaves and says “If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes.”.

Image credits: StochasticLife

#60

During Argentina’s military dictatorship in the 1970s and 80s, approximately 30,000 people were forcibly disappeared by the government. These individuals, mostly political dissidents, were taken from their homes, tortured, and often thrown out of planes into the Atlantic Ocean after being drugged. This horrific practice was part of what became known as the “Dirty War”.
Among the victims were pregnant women, who were allowed to give birth before being killed. Their babies were forcibly taken and given to military families for adoption, with the truth of their origins kept hidden. For decades, these children were unaware of their true identities, and many are still learning the truth today.
The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, a group of mothers whose children were among the disappeared, began holding regular protests in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires to demand justice and answers. Their efforts played a key role in exposing the atrocities of the dictatorship, and they still continue to meet, advocating for human rights and for the return of lost identities.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#61

In the 1890s, thanks to the popularity of Latin music, especially the Tango, parlor guitars became fashionable in Victorian England and the US. Then over time as those guitars were sold off, they found their way into poorer communities. Because of a glut of these abandoned guitars, they were often used instead of more expensive banjos in rhythm sections and solo performances of early jazz and blues. So the influence of the guitar in popular music today is due at least in part to the Tango.

Image credits: vaylor

#62

Horse racing began using public address systems with loudspeakers in the early 20th century, which greatly enhanced spectators’ experience, helping them follow races more easily. It evolved with the technology of radio and public announcements systems and became a standard practice by the 1930s at major tracks around the world.

Image credits: RJ Dibble

#63

Between 1864 and 1870 Paraguay fought a war with Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina that by some estimates killed as much as 70% of its population, with up to 90% of its adult male population dying or fleeing the country.

Image credits: reddit.com

#64

Humans developed agriculture around 12000 years ago. By storing grain, huge numbers of rodents flourished. Cats showed up to eat the rodents, and humans learned that if they took care of the cats, the cats would control the rodents. Therefore, it was the invention of agriculture that led to the domestication of the house cat.

Image credits: redvariation

#65

In 1997, Apple was struggling financially, and Microsoft invested $150 million to help stabilize the company. This investment was part of a deal where Apple agreed to drop a lawsuit against Microsoft over intellectual property. However, the claim that Microsoft did this to avoid an anti-trust breakup is misleading—Microsoft was already facing a separate antitrust case from the U.S. government at the time. Microsoft later sold its Apple shares in 2003 for a profit of nearly $600 million.

Image credits: bbbbbthatsfivebees

#66

In the early 1900s, the Tennessee Children’s Home Society was an illegal orphanage that kidnapped babies from poor households and sold them.

Image credits: Reach-for-the-sky_15

#67

Richard Nixon conspired with Saigon to win the 1968 presidential election. He interfered with the Johnson administration’s attempt at a peace treaty. This was literal treason and I feel that very few people know about it. The NYT wrote a piece about it in 2017.

Image credits: AlertOtter58

#68

In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Nix v. Hedden that tomatoes should be classified as vegetables for tariff purposes, even though they are botanically a fruit. The court’s decision was based on the common usage of tomatoes in meals, where they were treated as vegetables rather than fruits.

Image credits: iwrestledarockonce

#69

The story of Dom Pedro I of Portugal and Dona Inês de Castro is one of Portugal’s most famous tragic love stories. Inês was a noblewoman and mistress to Pedro, but his father, King Afonso IV, disapproved of their relationship and had her executed in 1355. When Pedro later became king, he declared that they had been secretly married and ordered her body exhumed, forcing the court to swear allegiance to her as queen by kissing her hand. While he did not put her corpse on the throne, he did ensure she was buried in an elaborate tomb, and her remains were placed opposite his so they could “face each other” in eternity.

Image credits: Atlantic_Nikita

#70

Thomas Jefferson created his own version of the Bible by hand that removed the whole first testament and any and all mentions and references to miracles and the supernatural. It’s called a Jefferson Bible and you can still get them.

Image credits: Vulcan_Jedi

#71

Rosa Parks wasn’t the first: Ida B. Wells, a pioneering African American journalist and civil rights activist. In 1884, Wells was traveling by train when she was ordered to give up her seat in the first-class ladies’ car and move to the smoking car, which was already crowded. When she refused, the conductor and two men forcibly removed her from the car. Wells took legal action against the railroad company and initially won her case in the local circuit court, receiving a $500 award. However, the railroad company appealed, and in 1887, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s ruling, concluding that her persistence was not in good faith to obtain a comfortable seat for the short ride. Wells was ordered to pay court costs. This incident was a catalyst for Wells’ lifelong commitment to civil rights and social justice. She became a prominent journalist, co-owning and writing for the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight newspaper, where she reported on racial segregation and inequality. Throughout her career, Wells documented and fought against the lynching of African Americans, becoming one of the most influential leaders in the early civil rights movement. Ida B. Wells’ courageous stand against racial discrimination on public transportation predated Rosa Parks’ more widely known protest by several decades, highlighting the long history of resistance to segregation in the United States.

Image credits: Datasrc1

#72

When we learned about prohibition, it was presented as kind of this silly historical mistake. It was years later when I learned that in the 19th Century people were drunk basically all the time in part because very few people had access to clean drinking water and would drink booze instead which was often cleaner/safer to drink. So a big part of the anti-booze movement was providing safe drinking water and we owe a lot of our drinking water infrastructure (like available public drinking fountains) to teetotalers.

Image credits: seanofkelley

#73

The Mid-Atlantic accent was a deliberately cultivated accent, mainly taught in elite boarding schools and acting schools in the early 20th century. It was a blend of British and American pronunciation, intended to sound refined and upper-class. While it was popular in Hollywood films, radio broadcasts, and public speaking, most people in the 1930s–1960s still spoke in their natural regional accents. The accent faded in popularity by the late 20th century but can still be heard in old films, recordings of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and later as a parody in shows like Frasier.

Image credits: Arrogantselfaware

#74

Did you know that the myth about carrots improving night vision was actually a clever piece of wartime propaganda? During World War II, the British Royal Air Force spread the story that their pilots ate large quantities of carrots to enhance their ability to spot enemy aircraft at night. In reality, this was a cover-up to hide the fact that they had developed advanced radar technology. The British didn’t want the Germans to know about their radar system, so they created the carrot story as a bit of misinformation. While carrots are good for your health, they didn’t give British pilots superhuman night vision – it was their top-secret radar that made the real difference!

Image credits: K. Annabelle Smith

#75

In 1899, the U.S. invaded the Philippines, claiming it was America’s “Manifest Destiny” to civilize and Christianize the islands. The ensuing Filipino-American War was brutal, with atrocities like General Jacob Smith’s order to kill everyone over 10 in a village, leading to his court-martial. The conflict even influenced U.S. military gear, prompting the switch to the .45 caliber pistol for its stopping power. After fighting together against Japan in WWII, the U.S. granted the Philippines independence on July 4, 1946. Later, the Philippines moved its Independence Day to June 12 (from Spain in 1898), rebranding July 4 as Philippine-American Friendship Day. This overlooked history reveals the dark side of U.S. expansion and the resilience of the Filipino people.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#76

Daniel Boone was captured by Indians. They were making him accompany them to Boonesborough which they planned to attack. Boone escaped to warn Boonseborough and ran barefoot 160 miles across the wilderness in 4 days. He outran the Indians on horseback through the f**king wilderness with no food, no shoes & a pack of Indians on his a**.

Image credits: Dammit_Banned_Again

#77

The Illuminati was a real historical group originating in Bavaria in the late 1700’s. They were a sect of freemasons who were rather peculiar. They were unusually critical of religion and monarchy. They were in competition with groups like Rosicrucians and Jesuits.

They were ultimately short lived and vanished when secret societies were banned in Bavaria.

There are all kinds of conspiracy theories that they engineered the French Revolution and have been in continued secret existence influencing events to this day. I doubt that is true, but it makes for interesting thought.

Image credits: Op3No6

#78

Astronomer here! Galileo did not actually invent the telescope- that honor goes to a Dutchman, Hans Lippershey, who applied for a patent in 1608 (and two other Dutchmen also may have been involved, depending on who you ask). Galileo instead heard of the Dutch invention and built his own in 1609, improving on its design. He was also the first person to think about looking up with the telescope, or at least being the first scientist who did so and could thus comprehend what he was seeing.

Image credits: Andromeda321

#79

Not something that nobody believes just something that makes people do a double take when I say it.

Within 17 days of each other, with no evidence of collaboration between them, two women (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and Sarah Jane Moore) unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate the same President of the United States (Gerald Ford) in the same state (California). Even more unbelievable is that both of these women are alive and not in jail.

Image credits: Mage_Malteras

#80

Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates, and when he found out how much they were ransoming him for, he was offended at how low the amount was and told them to raise it.

Meanwhile he spent his captivity annoying the shit out of his captors, holding poetry readings and generally being a pompous dick.

Oh, and he also joked that he’d eventually hunt them all down and crucify them.

The ransom was paid, Caesar was released, then he hunted them down and crucified them.

Image credits: AdvocateSaint

#81

When Roosevelt was running for president with the newly created “Bull Moose” party, he was once shot while giving a speech. The bullet, however, was greatly slowed by Roosevelt’s speech transcript, which he kept in his breast pocket. After being shot, Roosevelt famously declared: “It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose”, and proceeded to speak for another hour before being taken to a hospital.
It is believed that the Roosevelt would have been killed if not for the placement (and thickness) of the speech transcript.

Image credits: wizzlestyx

#82

The anthrax attacks straight after 9/11. Seemingly unconnected and no one was ever charged, from memory. Largely forgotten.

Image credits: imapassenger1

#83

The 2015 Phoenix freeway shootings involved several incidents of vehicles being shot at on Interstate 10. Authorities arrested a suspect, Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., but later dropped charges due to lack of evidence. The case remains unsolved, with some believing a copycat or multiple perpetrators may have been involved. While some reports of additional shootings surfaced, many were later dismissed as accidents or unrelated incidents.

Image credits: justhereforthelul

#84

The 2008 Financial Crisis: The Day the Markets Nearly Collapsed
On September 15, 2008, the collapse of Lehman Brothers sent shockwaves through global markets, triggering a panic. In just hours, a $550 billion withdrawal from money market accounts threatened to bring down the entire U.S. economy. If the withdrawals had continued, the Treasury feared $5.5 trillion would have vanished by the afternoon, causing a worldwide financial collapse within 24 hours.
This wasn’t just about a single panic moment—it was the result of years of risky banking practices, an overheated housing market, and financial instability. The Federal Reserve quickly intervened, injecting billions to stop the meltdown. What followed was a turbulent wave of market instability, government bailouts, and the unraveling of financial giants. That day, the world came dangerously close to an economic disaster, and it took a massive global effort to avert catastrophe.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#85

In 1212, thousands of children, possibly up to 30,000, set out in the Children’s Crusade, hoping to peacefully reclaim the Holy Land. Led by a few young individuals, they believed God would help them miraculously. However, the campaign ended tragically, with many dying, some being sold into slavery, and others lost to the harsh conditions of the journey. This crusade followed the Fourth Crusade (1204), where Crusaders, originally sent to fight Muslims, instead sacked Constantinople—an event that led to their excommunication by the Pope.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#86

Apparently, death from laughter is an incredibly rare but a completely legit cause of death.

In the third century BCE, Chrysippus, a Greek Stoic philosopher, died of laughter after he saw a donkey eating his figs.

And Chrysippus’ is not the only isolated case. Among the few other cases, a fifth-century BCE Greek painter, Zeuxis, is said to have died laughing at his painting of the goddess Aphrodite for which an old woman (who had commissioned the painting) had insisted on modelling. Also, Cleopatra, the ruler of Egypt in the first century BCE, claimed that her retainer died laughing at her husband’s death.

According to the linked Wikipedia article, the most recent case is that of Ole Bentzen, a Danish audiologist, who saw a funny scene in a comedy film and laughed so hard that his heart rate rose to a point where he had a fatal heart attack, in 1989.

From what I understood from reading up on this topic, it’s not the act of laughing itself but rather a fatal repercussion from a fit of laughter, such as cardiac arrest, asphyxiation or aneurysm, which causes death. For instance, Ole Bentzen suffered a heart attack as a consequence of the terrible fit of laughter he had. It’s possible that such was the case of Chrysippus (and others) as well.

(I always thought of ‘I’m gonna die laughing!’ as a hyperbole, and I myself use it quite liberally. But I guess every hyperbole has a grain of truth to it.)

Image credits: Villeneuve_

#87

In 1971, a teenage girl named Juliane Koepcke was on a plane that was struck by lightning and disintegrated in the air. She plummeted 3,000 meters strapped to her seat, and landed in the Amazon rainforest.

Her mom had been on the flight with her, and Juliane searched in vain for her mom, but Juliane was the sole survivor of the crash. She survived 11 days alone, treating her maggot-infested wounds with fuel and using tracking techniqies her father had taught her, before she found a boat that she used to make her way back to civilization.

What an absolute legend.

Image credits: echoskybound

#88

Violet Jessop survived the sinking of both the Titanic (1912) and the Britannic (1916). She was also aboard the Olympic in 1911 when it collided with the HMS Hawke, but the Olympic did not sink. Jessop, a stewardess and nurse, became known as “Miss Unsinkable” for her incredible survival record.

Image credits: whiterice07

#89

The London Beer Flood of 1814 – when one vat of beer at Meux & Co. brewery exploded, it proceeded to cause a domino effect of other vats to also burst, causing a tidal wave that flooded a neighborhood, leaving crumbled homes in its path as well as 8 people dead (and dozens injured).

Image credits: VictorBlimpmuscle

#90

The siege and fall of Tenochtitlán (1521) was largely carried out by indigenous allies of the Spanish, including Tlaxcalans and other rival tribes, who resented Aztec rule due to heavy tribute demands, forced labor, and human sacrifices. While Hernán Cortés and his conquistadors led the campaign, their native allies vastly outnumbered the Spanish. Spanish accounts of the battle are extremely graphic, describing the brutal fighting, starvation, and disease that ravaged the city.

Image credits: Saint_Circa

#91

In 2006, while the Ivory Coast was in the midst of a civil war, the opposing sides agreed to a ceasefire so that they could all watch the World Cup. The break in fighting paved the way for a peace agreement a year later.

Image credits: Lethal_bizzle94

#92

During the Irish Potato Famine in 1847, the Choctaw Nation in the United States, despite their own struggles, raised money to send aid to the starving Irish. Although the amount was small by today’s standards, this act of solidarity was profoundly impactful. In response, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Irish people returned the favor by donating money to help the Navajo Nation in the U.S., who were struggling with the virus. A statue in County Cork, Ireland, commemorates the Choctaw’s generosity, symbolizing the lasting bond of empathy between the two communities.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#93

Women in the US could not open a bank account or credit card without their husband until the mid 1970s! Insanity, and this was only like 10 years before I was born in the mid eighties which seems so recent I know my mom was effected by this

Image credits: athena2112

#94

Back in the 19th century, small opposition newspapers in the Netherlands were called “Lilliputters” (= “midgets”) because of their small size, which was a way to avoid having to pay for the newspaper stamp. The best example of this are the papers published by the fanatical republican Eillert Meeter, who received imprisonment for lèse-majeste, before being invited to meet king William II in person, who offered him an allowance if he ceased publicising. Meeter later went back to publishing anyway, but admitted in his writings that he found the king a kind and friendly person – he was just opposed to having a king.

Image credits: Lvcivs2311

#95

Not necessarily strange but terrifying – since the 80s there has been a group of Christian anti nuclear pacifists called The Plowshare movement.

They have broken into numerous nuclear arms facilities over the years to peacefully protest and have got into major trouble with many of them receiving multiple prison sentences for their efforts with no intent to stop but the major takeaway from their activities is how shockingly easy it was for them to plan and gain access to these facilities. Sometimes it would be hours before they were discovered by military personnel after gaining access to sites. And it begs the question that if they’re a peaceful protest group what would happen if a terrorist organisation were to attempt it? There’s a book about it called Gods of Metal.

Image credits: voivoivoi183

#96

Joshua Norton, a former businessman in San Francisco, declared himself Emperor of the United States in 1859 after growing frustrated with the political situation. While he had no real political power, he became a beloved eccentric figure in the city. Many local businesses even accepted his “Norton money” as currency. His mental health eventually led to his arrest in 1867, but after being released, he issued an Imperial Pardon to the officer who had arrested him. In return, the city’s police force began saluting him. Though he did not directly intervene in riots, Norton’s unique presence was cherished by San Franciscans, and his reign—though unofficial—remains a colorful chapter in the city’s history.

Image credits: Wikipedia

#97

I don’t know if this counts as a “historical event”, because it happened in 2010, but the owner of the Segway company, Jimi Heselden, died by driving a Segway off a cliff near his estate in Yorkshire.

Image credits: reddit.com

#98

Pennsylvania was founded by Quakers who believed that the “light of God” shined in everyone regardless of ethnicity or religion. They were known for treating the indigenous people relatively well and welcomed the first synagogue in North America in Philadelphia.

Image credits: Max_J_Powers

#99

The first true roller coasters were inspired by Russian ice slides, but the first modern roller coaster, with continuous tracks, was built in 1884 at Coney Island, New York, by LaMarcus Adna Thompson. Known as the “Switchback Railway”, it marked the start of the thrilling rides we enjoy today!

Image credits: Wikipedia

#100

Equifax lost the personal data of almost every single adult (in the US). This is data we didn’t give them permission to access, they simply automatically collect it.

They are still in business.

In September of 2017, Equifax announced a data breach that exposed the personal information of 147 million people.

That’s out of roughly 210 million adults at that time.

That’s 70% of the adult population whose data was lost.

That’s more than likely every single household in the US.

Image credits: maglen69

#101

The CIA was researching psychic abilities for 30 years as a way to spy on the USSR. After 30 years, the program was terminated, and their conclusion was that psychic powers probably don’t exist. Edit: the actual conclusion was that the evidence for remote viewing was un-falsifiable (and therefore un-provable). Many of the more promising results were believed to be caused by information leakage, meaning that test subjects had prior knowledge about the subject they were asked about. They were unable to verify any of their results because of this, and even if the psychic abilities were real, they were unreliable at best. Edit 2: The codename for the project was “stargate” you can find the documents on the CIA website.

Image credits: cameronh0110

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