The sub has been flourishing for more than a decade. Ever since it was founded all the way back in September 2012, it has grown by leaps and bounds. At the time of writing, the group was home to over 7.5 million members (or ‘History Experts’ as the community dubs them).
Members of r/HistoryMemes are encouraged to share memes about historical events, famous historical figures, and trends that were established at least twenty years ago. Moreover, the memes can be related to history class or “the application of the subject of History in real life.” The memes can also be tied to mythology or religious texts, or be ‘meta’ memes about the subreddit itself.
#6 Insane To Think Charles Darwin And Steve Irwin Both Owned The Same Turtoise
The team running the entire community has outlined its extended rules in great detail. It’s probably best to give those a read (right over here) if you’re new to the community and want to start things off on the right foot.
For instance, some memes and formats are actually banned on r/HistoryMemes. This is done for the sake of maintaining a high level of quality. Some topics that are prohibited include British Museum memes, as well as images related to France supposedly surrendering all the time. These topics have been milked to death.
Some other banned meme topics include US oil, nuclear bombs in Japan, Nazi scientists in NASA, and Hitler’s links to art school. Meanwhile, among some of the prohibited formats are Political Compass memes and fake caption-style posts where someone posts with a title that includes the name of an event, its date, and the word ‘colorized’ for comedic effect.
#11 The Race Was Held At 3:00pm On A Sweltering 32-Degree Celsius Day, And Took The Runners Over Dusty, Unpaved Roads. James Sullivan, The Chief Organiser Of The St Louis Olympics, Was Interested In 'Purposeful Dehydration' — An Ill-Advised Area Of Scientific Research At The Turn Of The Century — And Ensured There Was Only One Water Station On The Entire Course. Fourteen Kilometres From The Finish Line, American Runner Thomas Hicks Was In Agony. He Was Fading Fast From The Dust And Heat, And Tried To Lie Down On The Road. Hicks' Trainers, Who Also Believed That Water Diminished An Athlete's Performance, Gave Him Small Sips Of A Toxic Cocktail Which Included Strychnine (Rat Poison) To Stimulate His Nervous System. High On Rat Poison Which Was Mixed With An Egg White And Brandy, The 28-Year-Old Staggered Along For The Rest Of The Course While Hallucinating
Other banned formats include ‘Those who don’t know/Those who know’ memes, as well as Boys vs Girls memes. The mods also ask the community not to start meme wars or incite drama on the subreddit. Moreover, the images and titles that people post can’t be low-quality. In short, internet users ought to put in some effort in what they share.
And (though it’s common sense) redditors are urged not to deny or defend genocides and atrocities. Anyone going against this rule will instantly be banned, permanently. “Hateful historical revisionists are not welcome,” the mods explain. You’ll also get banned if you compare atrocities to one another.
Again, this is all common sense stuff on what not to do, but if the rule’s there, it means that there are folks who consistently do the opposite.
According to one thesis written by a senior student at Yale University, humor really does help us remember facts better. If factual information is paired with an especially funny joke (compared to a non-humorous one), individuals recall the fact better. However, what also helps is if the joke is relevant and somehow tied to the fact itself.
#19 Henry Avery Did Not Have The Most Satisfying Ending To His Plotline
