Wikipedia is the main source of knowledge for many internet users. Every month, 1.6 billion unique devices access the internet's encyclopedia, and over 15 billion readers visit it. You can find all kinds of pages on Wikipedia: from celebrity autobiographies to entries about PowerPoint karaoke and information about historical events.
We've covered funny Wikipedia articles in the past several times, but we've never focused on the weird side of it. So, this time, we've dedicated some time to scary and unsettling Wikipedia entries.
Ready to experience some serious heebie-jeebies? Arm yourself with courage and scroll down to see what kinds of weird phenomena Wikipedia contributors have tackled throughout the years.
#1 Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, also called Münchmeyer disease, was first discovered in 1692. It’s a condition characterized by connective tissue turning into bone over time, severely restricting movement and bodily function. Caused by a mutation of the gene ACVR1, it’s reportedly the only medical condition where tissue changes into another, and unfortunately, it has no cure.
76points
#2 Locked-In Syndrome
Locked-in syndrome is a condition where every part of the body except the eyes is paralyzed. People affected by the condition are forced to communicate through blinking or moving their eyes. Despite not being able to move, their brain function isn’t affected, so they are conscious and fully aware of their surroundings all the time.
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66points
#3 Joyce Vincent
Joyce Vincent was a 38-year-old British woman who was found deceased in her apartment in January 2006. Her body was discovered, “mostly skeletal,” almost three years after she passed away in 2003. Shockingly, her TV remained on all that time, and most of her bills were automatically paid, so nobody noticed she was no longer alive—until bailiffs forced entry into her apartment due to unpaid rent.
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66points
Wikipedia is truly the source of interesting, funny, or creepy facts for many internet users. But even the online encyclopedia itself cautions its users that not everything you see there may be true. In its 'reliable sources' guidelines, it is stated that Wikipedia is not a reliable source for citation elsewhere on Wikipedia.
The project admits that some entries might be incorrect, unfinished, or lack reliable sources. But that's the pitfall of being a user-generated enterprise.
"Because Wikipedia is a volunteer-run project, it cannot constantly monitor every contribution," the guidelines state. "There are many errors that remain unnoticed for hours, days, weeks, months, or even years."
#4 Smile Mask Syndrome
It turns out the Smile horror movie franchise wasn’t entirely based on fiction. Smile mask syndrome is described as a mental disorder that causes physical illness and depression because of prolonged and unnatural smiling. Professor Makoto Natsume theorized that Japanese women, particularly in the service industry, were forced to smile even when under immense stress. As a result, they developed repetitive strain injuries and depression.
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65points
#5 Sogen Kato
Thought to be the oldest man in Tokyo, Sogen Kato’s mummified corpse was discovered in his bedroom in July 2010. Kato actually passed away in November 1978, but his family never reported it because they wanted to continue cashing his pension checks.
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60points
#6 Coffin Birth
While the process is not fully understood and occurs very rarely, coffin birth, also known as postmortem fetal extrusion, happens when gases inside a decomposing woman’s body push out a deceased fetus. The gases responsible are carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen sulfide, which develop within two to five days after passing.
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58points
Jokesters and internet vandals have made up so many fake Wikipedia articles that there is even an entry dedicated to all the hoaxes on Wikipedia. Some hoaxes were done so expertly that they went undetected for more than 10 years! Whether the smaller ones, like changing the fact that the NASA Messenger probe orbited around Canada and not Mercury, are honest mistakes or acts of vandalism, is unknown.
But others are just too big and elaborate to be considered oopsies. One of the most famous examples is the Bicholim conflict, a supposed war between Portugal and the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. In 2007, the page gained "good article" status until one editor checked the provided sources in 2012 and found that they did not exist.
#7 The Euthanasia Coaster
The Euthanasia Coaster is a hypothetical coaster that was designed as a euthanasia device. In 2010, the design was turned into a scale model by a Lithuanian artist named Julijonas Urbonas. Reportedly, the goal of the coaster was to k**l all its passengers through cerebral hypoxia, giving them an elegant and euphoric passing.
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57points
#8 The Goiânia Accident
The Goiânia accident in 1982 has been identified as one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters. It started when two men stole a radioactive machine from an abandoned hospital, took it apart, and exposed the radioactive substance inside it. Hundreds of people eventually came into contact with the substance, with some falling violently ill and others even losing their lives.
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56points
#9 The Diving Bell Spider
The diving bell spider is the only spider that spends almost all its life underwater. It occasionally comes up to the surface to replenish its oxygen or to eat its prey. When it’s underwater, it uses an air bubble trapped by the hair on its stomach and legs to breathe. Allegedly, its bite is excruciating to humans and causes symptoms like vomiting and inflammation for about five to ten days.
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52points
Still, Wikipedia is an excellent example of a community coming together for the greater good. The fact that it has been going on since 2001 is truly a testament to how dedicated and resilient its editors are. Let's hope Wikipedia is still going strong after 20 years so we can scare ourselves silly, laugh, and cringe at the weird side of Wikipedia!
#10 The Hinterkaifeck Murders
The Hinterkaifeck Murders are reportedly the most gruesome unsolved crimes in Germany. In 1922, on a Bavarian farmstead, six members of a family were fatally struck with a pickaxe by an unknown perpetrator. For three days, the assailant lived and ate in the house with the corpses. When the bodies were eventually found, four of them had been stacked up in the barn with the pickaxe left above them in the loft.
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50points
#11 The Dancing Plague
In 1518, a woman named Frau Troffea started a dancing mania that led to about 400 people dancing nonstop for a whole month. Allegedly, at least 15 people passed away per day due to heart attacks, strokes, and exhaustion from all the dancing. While the exact cause of the dancing hysteria is unknown, several theories have been brought forward on Wikipedia, such as food poisoning, stress, and even demonic possession.
50points
#12 The Rat King
It’s a strange phenomenon where several rats become entangled by their tails. The first occurrence can be traced back to 1564, and the most recent to 2021. In 2021, a Rat King of 13 live rats was found in Estonia. Scientists eventually had to euthanize the rats because they couldn’t get free.
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47points
#13 Premature Burial
Being buried alive is a frightening thing to imagine, and is reportedly one of the most common phobias in the world. People throughout history have been buried alive unintentionally through accidents and natural disasters, and as a method of execution in wars. In recent years, escape artists and even YouTubers like Mr Beast have voluntarily buried themselves alive.
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45points
#14 The Disappearance Of Asha Degree
Asha Degree vanished at 9 years old after leaving home in the middle of the night during a storm. She left with only her book bag and was last spotted running into a wooded area along a roadway. A year after she went missing, her book bag was found at a construction site in a black trash bag. She still has not been found.
44points
#15 The Wizard Of Oz
While this entry doesn’t initially seem all that scary, what happened behind the scenes of the famous movie might change your mind. Judy Garland, who played Dorothy Gale in the film, was allegedly the victim of a ton of abuse on-set. The abuse was just the tip of the iceberg. Other cast members faced gruesome conditions and even a near-fatality due to their crazy costumes.
43points
#16 Blanche Monnier
Blanche Monnier was a woman from Poitiers, France, who was held prisoner in her mother’s home for about 25 years. Her mother allegedly locked her up as a drastic measure to keep her from marrying a “penniless lawyer.” She was eventually found naked in a dark room by law enforcement in a severely emaciated state, surrounded by feces and vermin. After her release, she was sent to a psychiatric facility, where she passed away 12 years later.
43points
#17 The Kentucky Meat Shower
A meat shower probably isn’t on anyone’s list of enjoyable things to experience. It’s said that in 1876, a small town in Kentucky witnessed chunks of meat raining from the sky. While the exact cause of the shower remains a mystery, some theorize it was a vulture’s spilled lunch.
43points
#18 The Lists Of Unusual Passings
From a tortoise being dropped on someone’s head to being eaten alive by piranhas, the passings listed on this Wikipedia page are nothing short of unbelievable. The list dates back to ancient times and is shockingly extensive.
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41points
#19 The Effect Of Spaceflight On The Human Body
Because of the lack of gravity, going to space really takes its toll on the human body both short and long term. When exposed to weightlessness over a long period, the muscles may start to atrophy, and the skeleton may deteriorate. Other possible adverse effects include balance issues, visual impairment, and a weakened immune system.
40points
#20 The Roopkund Lake
Roopkund, also known as Skeleton Lake, has hundreds of human skeletons on its edge that can be seen when the snow melts. Initial investigations carried out by researchers tied the remains to a group k****d in a hailstorm in the 9th century. However, later scientific research proved the remains were actually from three different groups that lost their lives in two separate events around 800 CE and 1800 CE.
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40points