33 Historical Events So Absurd You'll Swear They're Fake (But They're 100% Real)
Summary
This video chronicles 33 bizarre and true historical events where humanity's actions were driven by absurdity rather than brilliance. From a soda company acquiring a navy to armies losing wars to animals, and from dead jockeys winning races to selling the Eiffel Tower, the narrative highlights the comedic and often illogical nature of human history. It showcases instances of mass hysteria, bizarre fashion choices with deadly consequences, and ill-conceived government policies, ultimately suggesting that humanity's survival is more a product of luck than intelligence.
Key Insights
Dead jockey won a horse race in 1923.
In 1923, jockey Frank Hayes, who had never won a race, died of a heart attack mid-race. His body remained in the saddle, and the horse, Sweet Kiss, crossed the finish line in first place. Track officials had to confirm a dead man as the winner.
Austrian army accidentally fought itself in 1788.
During a campaign against the Ottoman Empire, drunk Austrian soldiers mistook their own comrades for the enemy in the dark, leading to friendly fire. Chaos ensued, with different regiments and cavalry engaging each other. The army suffered 10,000 casualties before the actual Ottoman army arrived.
Dancing plague struck Strasbourg in 1518.
In 1518, a woman named Fraoa in Strasbourg began dancing uncontrollably in the street. Within a month, hundreds joined her in a phenomenon dubbed the dancing plague. People danced until they collapsed from exhaustion, heart attacks, or death. Authorities' attempt to cure it with more dancing worsened the situation.
Fake news about moon men captivated America in 1835.
The New York Sun published a series of articles in 1835 claiming an astronomer discovered life on the moon, including forests, oceans, and 'man-bats'. The fabricated story, known as the Great Moon Hoax, dramatically increased the newspaper's circulation and was widely believed, demonstrating the power of sensational fake news.
Victor Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower twice.
In 1925, con artist Victor Lustig posed as a government official and convinced scrap metal dealers that the Eiffel Tower was being sold for scrap, successfully selling it to one dealer. Astonishingly, he returned a month later and tried the exact same scam on a different group of dealers.
Roman Empire was auctioned off by the Praetorian Guard in 193 AD.
After assassinating the Roman Emperor in 193 AD, the Praetorian Guard put the Roman Empire up for auction. A wealthy Roman, Didius Julianus, bought the empire for a vast sum, only to be killed two months later by a rival general.
Pope Stephen VI put his predecessor's corpse on trial.
In 897 AD, Pope Stephen VI exhumed the nine-month-old corpse of Pope Formosus to put him on trial. The 'Cadaver Synod' saw the rotting body propped up to 'hear' accusations, ultimately found guilty, stripped of papal vestments, and its fingers hacked off.
Radium was marketed and consumed in everyday products for health.
At the turn of the 20th century, radium was incorporated into numerous products like water, chocolate, toothpaste, and jock straps, believed to have health benefits. Consumers were unknowingly ingesting radioactive material, leading to severe health consequences, including disintegration of bone tissue.
Sections
Bizarre Bartering and Military Mishaps
Soviet Union traded its navy for Pepsi in 1989.
In 1989, the financially struggling Soviet Union, unable to use its currency for Western goods, made a deal with Pepsi. They traded 17 submarines, a cruiser, a frigate, and a destroyer for Pepsi. Pepsi then sold the fleet to a Swedish scrapyard, briefly making the soda company the owner of the world's sixth-largest military fleet.
Australia declared war on emus in 1932.
Faced with an invasion of 20,000 emus destroying crops, the Australian government deployed the Royal Australian Artillery with machine guns to combat the birds. The emus, however, employed effective guerrilla tactics, splitting into small groups and evading the soldiers, leading to the army's humiliating retreat after a week.
Dead jockey won a horse race in 1923.
In 1923, jockey Frank Hayes, who had never won a race, died of a heart attack mid-race. His body remained in the saddle, and the horse, Sweet Kiss, crossed the finish line in first place. Track officials had to confirm a dead man as the winner.
Polish army enlisted a bear named Voytech during WWII.
During World War II, the Polish army officially enlisted a bear named Voytech. Adopted as a cub, he was given a rank, paybook, and serial number. Voytech served as a combat veteran, notably helping to carry artillery shells during the battle of Monte Casino.
Austrian army accidentally fought itself in 1788.
During a campaign against the Ottoman Empire, drunk Austrian soldiers mistook their own comrades for the enemy in the dark, leading to friendly fire. Chaos ensued, with different regiments and cavalry engaging each other. The army suffered 10,000 casualties before the actual Ottoman army arrived.
Union Army victory marred by a traffic jam in 1861.
During the First Battle of Bull Run, high society spectators flocked to watch what was expected to be a swift Union victory. When the battle turned chaotic and the Union Army retreated, their escape was blocked by the carriages of these spectators, causing a massive traffic jam and highlighting war is not a spectator sport.
Mass Hysteria and Strange Epidemics
Laughter epidemic spread through Tanzania in 1962.
An epidemic of uncontrollable, painful laughter began with three schoolgirls in Tanzania in 1962. It spread to 95 students, forcing a school closure, and then to over a thousand people in surrounding villages, lasting for 18 months and causing significant distress.
Goldfish swallowing craze swept colleges in the 1930s.
In the 1930s, a popular fad involved college students swallowing live goldfish as a form of competitive sport, often on a bet. This craze spread across universities, with some students even developing elaborate contraptions to aid in the act.
Dancing plague struck Strasbourg in 1518.
In 1518, a woman named Fraoa in Strasbourg began dancing uncontrollably in the street. Within a month, hundreds joined her in a phenomenon dubbed the dancing plague. People danced until they collapsed from exhaustion, heart attacks, or death. Authorities' attempt to cure it with more dancing worsened the situation.
Fake news about moon men captivated America in 1835.
The New York Sun published a series of articles in 1835 claiming an astronomer discovered life on the moon, including forests, oceans, and 'man-bats'. The fabricated story, known as the Great Moon Hoax, dramatically increased the newspaper's circulation and was widely believed, demonstrating the power of sensational fake news.
Deceptive Deals and Audacious Scams
Victor Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower twice.
In 1925, con artist Victor Lustig posed as a government official and convinced scrap metal dealers that the Eiffel Tower was being sold for scrap, successfully selling it to one dealer. Astonishingly, he returned a month later and tried the exact same scam on a different group of dealers.
British bounty on cobras led to snake farming and release.
To control a cobra problem in colonial India, the British government offered a bounty for dead cobras. This incentivized locals to farm cobras for profit. When the bounty was removed, farmers released their snakes, exacerbating the original problem.
Roman Empire was auctioned off by the Praetorian Guard in 193 AD.
After assassinating the Roman Emperor in 193 AD, the Praetorian Guard put the Roman Empire up for auction. A wealthy Roman, Didius Julianus, bought the empire for a vast sum, only to be killed two months later by a rival general.
Gregor McGregor invented and sold land in the fictional country of Poy.
In the 1820s, Scottish con artist Gregor McGregor falsely claimed to be the prince of Poy, a nonexistent Central American country. He created a detailed marketing campaign, selling land deeds and investment opportunities to hundreds before colonists arrived to find only an uninhabitable jungle swamp.
Reckless Policies and Dangerous Fashions
England's window tax led to people bricking up windows.
In 1696, England implemented a window tax based on the number of windows in a house. In response, people began bricking up their windows to avoid the tax, leading to dark, unhealthy living conditions and the spread of diseases like cholera.
1904 Olympic Marathon was a chaotic disaster.
The 1904 Olympic Marathon in St. Louis was held in extreme heat and dust. The winner was disqualified for cheating, the runner-up was hallucinating and carried across the finish line after being given stimulants and rat poison, and other runners faced wild dogs and food poisoning.
US military used loud rock music to disarm Manuel Noriega.
In 1989, the US military used loud music, including Guns N' Roses and Van Halen, played continuously for 10 days to pressure Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega into surrendering from the Vatican embassy. Noriega, an opera lover, eventually gave up due to the persistent noise.
The 'Great Stink' forced London to build a modern sewer system.
In the summer of 1858, extreme heat combined with centuries of sewage dumped into the River Thames created an unbearable stench throughout London, known as the Great Stink. The overwhelming odor forced Parliament to finally address the sanitation crisis and build a modern sewer system.
Victorian women's fashion, the crinoline, was a deadly fire hazard.
The wide, cage-like crinoline skirts popular in the 1800s posed a significant fire risk. Their large circumference meant women could easily brush against open flames, leading to thousands of accidental incinerations. Despite this, the fashion trend persisted and even grew larger.
Bayer sold pure heroin as a children's cough syrup.
In 1910, Bayer marketed heroin as a non-addictive cure for coughs and colds, specifically targeting children. They sold pure heroin in cough syrup formulations, preying on parental desperation for remedies and the drug's perceived 'heroic' effects.
Brick tax led to oversized bricks and architectural tax evasion.
In 1784, Britain imposed a tax based on the number of bricks used in construction. In response, builders began making bricks significantly larger to reduce the count and avoid the tax. This led to an architectural arms race between tax evasion and government regulation on brick size.
Unusual Events and Strange Beliefs
Meat rained from the sky in Kentucky in 1876.
In 1876, chunks of fresh meat reportedly fell from a clear sky onto a farm in Kentucky. The leading scientific theory suggests a flock of vultures consumed a large meal, then simultaneously experienced food poisoning and vomited mid-air over the area.
The theft of a bucket sparked a war in 1325.
In 1325, soldiers from Modena stole a wooden bucket from a well in the rival city of Bologna. Bologna demanded its return, leading to a declaration of war. Thousands died in the ensuing conflict, all over a stolen bucket that remains in a Modena museum.
Tourists paid to view and mock patients in an 18th-century asylum.
In 18th-century London, people could pay a penny to visit Bethlem Royal Hospital (Bedlam) and treat the mentally ill patients like exhibits in a zoo. This practice was considered a normal family outing, highlighting a starkly different historical view of mental illness.
El Salvador and Honduras went to war over a soccer game in 1969.
After a contentious three-game World Cup qualifying soccer match marred by riots and tension, El Salvador and Honduras initiated a full-scale war in 1969, known as the Football War. The conflict resulted in thousands of casualties and was directly triggered by the soccer matches.
Pope Stephen VI put his predecessor's corpse on trial.
In 897 AD, Pope Stephen VI exhumed the nine-month-old corpse of Pope Formosus to put him on trial. The 'Cadaver Synod' saw the rotting body propped up to 'hear' accusations, ultimately found guilty, stripped of papal vestments, and its fingers hacked off.
Ketchup was once sold as a cure-all medicine.
In the 1830s, Dr. John Cook Bennett promoted ketchup as a medicinal cure for various ailments like diarrhea and indigestion. Concentrated into pill form, ketchup pills became a sensation, with other companies creating similar remedies, showing a belief in the curative power of tomato paste.
Questionable Innovations and Exploitations
Peter the Great imposed a beard tax on Russian nobility.
Tsar Peter the Great modernized Russia by, among other things, imposing a tax on beards in the late 17th century. Noblemen had to pay to keep their facial hair, and those caught with untaxed beards faced forceful shaving by guards, symbolizing a state-sponsored war on traditional appearances.
Scotland went bankrupt funding a failed colony in Panama.
In the 1690s, Scotland invested nearly a quarter of its national wealth into the Darien Scheme, an attempt to establish a colony in Panama. The project failed catastrophically due to disease, poor location, and mismanagement, bankrupting Scotland and leading to its union with England.
People bought anti-comet pills and umbrellas in 1910.
Amidst panic over Halley's Comet in 1910, with fears of poisonous gas in its tail, con artists sold ineffective 'anti-comet pills' and umbrellas. People bought these items, demonstrating how fear could override logic and make them susceptible to placebo-based remedies.
The Catholic Church had a 40-year schism with multiple popes.
In the late 14th century, a dispute led to the existence of two, and later three, rival popes simultaneously ('The Western Schism'). Each pope excommunicated the others, causing significant damage to the Church's reputation and authority over several decades.
London experienced a beer flood from an exploding brewery in 1814.
In 1814, a massive vat ruptured at a London brewery, releasing a 15-foot tidal wave of beer that surged through the streets, destroying buildings and causing eight deaths. The brewery was absolved of responsibility, with the event ruled an 'act of God'.
Radium was marketed and consumed in everyday products for health.
At the turn of the 20th century, radium was incorporated into numerous products like water, chocolate, toothpaste, and jock straps, believed to have health benefits. Consumers were unknowingly ingesting radioactive material, leading to severe health consequences, including disintegration of bone tissue.
Ask a Question
*Uses 1 Wisdom coin from your coin balance
![The ENTIRE History of The World (NO AI) [4K Documentary]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zohg5rx5ptU/hqdefault.jpg)
