After spending a lot of time on Earth, one of the things you’ve probably noticed is that human history can be… well, weirder than weird. In between all the hard-fought battles, seminal treaties, and rousing speeches, you’ll find some truly odd events. Like Napoleon Bonaparte getting swarmed by rabbits in 1807. No, really! We were shocked when we found out, too!
Scroll down for Bored Panda’s collection of some of the most bizarre and unbelievable historical facts that sound completely fake, but are actually true. Check them out below! They’re good for piquing your curiosity about new topics and for impressing your friends the next time you get together.
#1 Bullet Holes Could Be Patched By Tootsie Rolls
During the brutal Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War, a group of surrounded U.S. Marines made an urgent radio call for a resupply of 60mm mortar rounds, using their codename for the ammunition: "Tootsie Rolls." Due to a communication mix-up, the next airdrop they received wasn't ammunition, but thousands of actual Tootsie Roll candies. While initially a frustrating mistake, the candy proved to be a lifesaver. It was one of the few rations that didn't freeze solid in the sub-zero temperatures, providing much-needed calories. More importantly, the Marines discovered that when they chewed the Tootsie Rolls into a malleable putty, it was perfect for patching bullet holes and cracks in their vehicles' fuel lines, hoses, and radiators. This makeshift, edible patch kit proved surprisingly effective, allowing them to keep their equipment running and aiding in their eventual breakout.
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44points
#2 Persians Would Debate A Topic Once Drunk And Once Sober
The ancient Greek historian Herodotus recorded a unique and surprisingly pragmatic decision-making process used by the ancient Persians. When faced with a matter of great importance, the Persians would first debate the issue while drunk. They believed that the intoxication would strip away their inhibitions, allowing for a more honest and unrestrained discussion. The following day, they would reconsider the same topic completely sober. If, in the clear light of day, the decision they made while drunk still seemed like a good idea, they would adopt it. This two-part system, which also worked in reverse, was a clever way to ensure their most important decisions could withstand the scrutiny of both their most passionate and their most rational selves.
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39points
#3 The Stars In Van Gogh's "Café Terrace At Night" Helped Us Tell The Exact Day It Was Painted
Although Vincent van Gogh is known for his expressive and emotional style, his famous painting "Café Terrace at Night" is a work of remarkable astronomical accuracy. He painted the scene in Arles, France, capturing the night sky with such precision that modern astronomers have been able to pinpoint the exact date and time. By analyzing the positions of the stars in the painting, particularly the prominent depiction of the Big Dipper constellation, experts determined that Van Gogh created the work on the evening of September 16th or 17th, 1888. This incredible detail reveals that even amidst his unique artistic vision, Van Gogh was a keen and faithful observer of the world around him, grounding his celestial masterpiece in a specific, real-world moment.
37points
It’s healthy to be curious, skeptical, and constantly questioning what you see and hear. When you’re constantly bombarded with conflicting information on the internet, in the news, and on social media, it can become tough to separate opinion, propaganda, and fact.
Different people, groups, organizations, companies, and countries have different (often competing) agendas. And they’re vying for your attention. So, it’s vital to remind yourself of the fact that far from everything you see on your glowing screen is actually true.
As reported by Vice, based on data collected by Cloudflare, nearly a third (29.8%) of all internet traffic now comes from bots.
#4 On One Particular Day, Sweden Had To Change Sides Of The Road Forever
On a single, wild day in 1967, the entire nation of Sweden collectively switched which side of the road they drove on. Known as "Dagen H" (H-Day), the changeover occurred at precisely 4:50 AM on September 3rd. At that moment, all traffic nationwide was ordered to come to a complete stop, carefully cross over to the right-hand side of the road, and wait for the signal to proceed. This massive undertaking required reconfiguring thousands of intersections, replacing traffic signs overnight, and even modifying buses by adding doors on the other side. Despite the immense potential for chaos, the transition was a remarkable success, with a well-informed public executing one of the strangest and most coordinated traffic jams in history.
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35points
#5 The Great Flood Of 1993 Of The Mississippi River Was Because One Man Wanted To Go Out Drinking
During the massive "Great Flood of 1993," James Scott just wanted an excuse to keep partying. His bizarre and selfish plan was to strand his wife on the other side of the Mississippi River by causing a small flood. To do this, he removed several sandbags from a levee near West Quincy, Missouri, hoping to make a road impassable. His sabotage worked catastrophically well: the levee completely failed, unleashing a torrent that submerged 14,000 acres of farmland and destroyed a bridge. Though he maintained his innocence, Scott was convicted of intentionally causing a catastrophe and sentenced to life in prison, all because he wanted a night out.
34points
#6 Jimmy Carter's Mother Was A Nurse Who Helped Deliver Rosalynn Carter
The bond between Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter began decades before they ever fell in love, right at the moment of her birth. In the small town of Plains, Georgia, Jimmy's mother, Lillian Carter, was a registered nurse who assisted in the delivery of her neighbor's new baby, Rosalynn Smith. According to the story, a three-year-old Jimmy was the first person his mother told about the newborn girl. This remarkable small-town connection served as the unknowing first chapter to what would become the longest presidential marriage in American history, linking the future president and first lady from Rosalynn's very first day.
33points
The situation might be much, much worse. A report from Imperva suggests that the problem may be even bigger, estimating that around half of all global internet traffic is now automated.
These are terrifying numbers. And they help you see the internet in a new light. In some cases, bots might be interacting with bots, with little to no human involvement. Meanwhile, other bots may be malicious.
“Automated traffic makes up almost half of all internet traffic worldwide. Generally speaking, automated traffic comprises two types of automation: good and bad bots. Concerningly, bad bots alone account for nearly a third of all traffic, at 32%, with their volume increasing for the fifth consecutive year,” Imperva’s report found.
“Bad bots have become more advanced and evasive, and now mimic human behavior in such a way that it makes them difficult to detect and prevent. Bad bots are exploiting business logic instead of technical vulnerabilities, which allows them to perform a host of malicious activities, including transaction fraud, web scraping, and data harvesting.”
#7 A Failed Amendment Would Put War To A Public Vote And Would Make "Yes" Voters Enlist
In a bold and unusual move, a 1916 constitutional amendment proposed a radical change to how the United States would declare war. The proposed Ludlow Amendment stipulated that the country could not go to war without a direct, national vote from the public. But the truly wild part was its built-in consequence: anyone who voted "yes" to go to war would be automatically enlisted for military service. The amendment was ultimately defeated, but it remains a fascinating and creatively extreme attempt to ensure that the people who chose to send the country to war would be the same ones who had to fight it.
31points
#8 "Hocus Pocus" Came From A Misheard Latin Phrase
The classic magician's incantation "hocus pocus" has a surprisingly sacred, if misunderstood, origin. The phrase is widely believed to be an alternative version of the Latin words "hoc est corpus meum," meaning "This is my body," spoken by priests during the Catholic Mass. For centuries, congregations who didn't understand Latin heard these words during the most mysterious and seemingly magical part of the service, the transubstantiation. Over time, the sacred phrase was slurred into a nonsensical incantation that became synonymous with a miraculous transformation, eventually getting adopted by stage performers to add a little flair to their magic tricks.
30points
#9 During WWII, Poland Made A Bear A Private
During World War II, soldiers of the Polish II Corps adopted an orphaned Syrian brown bear cub they named Wojtek. The bear became an unofficial mascot, traveling with the unit and even learning to drink beer and smoke (and eat) cigarettes. His most famous contribution came during the fierce Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, where he helped his human comrades by carrying heavy crates of artillery shells. To get him onto a British transport ship heading to Italy—as regulations forbade pets—the soldiers officially enlisted Wojtek into the army. He was given the rank of private, a serial number, and a paybook, making him arguably the most unusual enlisted soldier of the war.
30points
Which of the weird facts that we’re featuring here today genuinely surprised you?
Were there any historical tidbits that you actually knew from before?
What is the most bizarre fact from history that you know that you’d like to share with everyone else? Scroll down to the comments to share your thoughts.
#10 Rabbits Once Attacked Napoleon
After signing the Treaties of Tilsit in 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to celebrate with a rabbit hunt. His chief of staff, tasked with organizing the event, gathered hundreds of domesticated rabbits instead of wild ones. When the cages were opened, the bunnies didn't scatter in fear; they saw the famous general and his men as a source of food and charged. The massive, fluffy horde swarmed Napoleon, climbing up his legs and jacket until the man who had conquered much of Europe was forced into a humiliating retreat, fleeing in his carriage from a furry, hungry army.
30points
#11 The Thames Was So Stinky In The 1800s It Brought Parliament To A Standstill
In the sweltering summer of 1858, the city of London was brought to its knees by an overpowering and inescapable stench. For centuries, the River Thames had served as the city's open sewer, and an unusually hot, dry summer baked decades of raw human and industrial waste into a foul-smelling sludge on the riverbanks. The "Great Stink," as it was called, was so potent that it forced the government to a standstill, as members of Parliament, whose chambers sat right on the river, could no longer work through the nauseating fumes. Fearing the foul air itself would cause a d**dly epidemic, Parliament was finally spurred into action, green-lighting a revolutionary plan to build the massive, modern sewer system that would ultimately save the city from diseases like cholera for generations to come.
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30points
#12 Auguste Valadier Drove Around In A Rolls Royce Giving Dental Care During WWI
During the chaos of World War I, a French-American dental surgeon named Auguste Valadier decided to take his practice to the front lines in the most luxurious way imaginable. After being turned down by the French army, he offered his services to the British and converted his personal 1913 Rolls Royce into a fully equipped mobile dental office, complete with a chair and drills in the back. Valadier would drive around treating British soldiers, and he famously used his unique position to his advantage: while high-ranking generals were helpless in his dental chair, he would persuade them of the urgent need for a specialized facial and jaw surgery unit. His unique brand of lobbying was incredibly effective and directly led to the establishment of a pioneering hospital for reconstructive surgery, helping countless soldiers with devastating facial injuries.
29points
#13 The Australian Military Waged A War On Emus
In one of the most bizarre military campaigns in history, the Australian army literally declared war on emus in 1932. After a massive population of the large, flightless birds began destroying crops in Western Australia, the government deployed soldiers armed with two Lewis machine guns to handle the problem. The "Great Emu War" was a complete and utter fiasco. The emus proved to be surprisingly brilliant tacticians, splitting into small, fast-moving groups that made them nearly impossible targets for the machine guns. After several humiliating skirmishes, a paltry number of casualties on the emu side, and a lot of wasted ammunition, the military was forced to withdraw. In the end, the emus won, handing the Australian army a uniquely embarrassing defeat.
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26points
#14 The First Woman To Be Officially Drafted By The NBA Was Lusia Harris
In a move that stunned the sports world, the New Orleans Jazz officially drafted a woman in the seventh round of the 1977 NBA draft. The player was Lusia "Lucy" Harris, a 6-foot-3 powerhouse who had completely dominated college basketball, leading Delta State University to three consecutive national championships. She was also a silver medalist from the first-ever women's Olympic basketball tournament. While she was a legitimate talent, Harris ultimately declined the offer to try out for the team, as she was pregnant at the time and planned to start a family. Even though she never played a single game in the league, her selection remains a landmark moment in sports history, making her the first and only woman ever to be officially drafted by the NBA.
25points
#15 Everest Climber Lincoln Hall Was Left In Nothing But A Fleece Top But Survived The Night
In 2006, Australian mountaineer Lincoln Hall was left for d**d just below the summit of Mount Everest. After collapsing from a severe case of cerebral edema, he was declared deceased by his Sherpa guides, who were forced to descend to save their own lives. Hall spent the entire night alone in the "d**th zone" at 28,000 feet, without oxygen, a sleeping bag, or proper shelter. Miraculously, he was found alive the next morning by another team of climbers, sitting cross-legged on the ridge and surprisingly coherent. His improbable survival, having endured hours of exposure to extreme cold and dangerously low oxygen levels, remains one of the most astonishing tales in the history of Everest.
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24points
#16 Winston Churchill Had A Doctor's Note To Be Able To Drink During Prohibition
When Winston Churchill visited the United States during Prohibition, he came prepared with a unique and clever way to bypass the country's strict alcohol laws. In 1931, after being struck by a car in New York City, Churchill obtained a prescription from his doctor for "the use of alcoholic spirits especially at mealtimes." The doctor's note specified that the "minimum quantity is 250 cubic centimeters," a generous amount that ensured the future Prime Minister would not have to endure his American recovery without his customary brandy.
24points
#17 There Was A Fata Beer Flood In London In The 1800s
In the heart of London in 1814, a bizarre and d**dly disaster struck a poor slum when a local brewery suffered a catastrophic failure. A massive, three-story-high vat of fermenting beer at the Meux and Co. Brewery suddenly burst, unleashing a powerful wave that caused a domino effect, rupturing other vats in the building. The result was a literal tsunami of over a million liters of beer that crashed through the streets, powerful enough to smash homes to rubble and instantly flood the cellars where many families lived. In the chaos, at least eight people, mostly women and children, were either drowned in the sticky, alcoholic flood or crushed by collapsing buildings, leaving survivors to wade through the waist-deep river of beer in a desperate search for their loved ones.
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24points
#18 The Longest Year In History Was The Year 46 BCE And Was 445 Days
The year 46 BCE holds the record as the longest in human history, lasting an incredible 445 days. This "Year of Confusion," as it came to be known, was the result of Julius Caesar's ambitious and much-needed overhaul of the Roman calendar. At the time, the Roman calendar was a mess, falling wildly out of sync with the solar year. To correct this and prepare for the implementation of his new, more accurate Julian calendar, Caesar had to add two extra, intercalary months between November and December. This one-time, massive adjustment brought the calendar back in line with the seasons, but in doing so, created a single, bizarrely long year that stands as a unique and confusing blip in history.
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23points
#19 Shoelaces Were A Cold War Communication Tactic For Spies
During the Cold War, even the most mundane items could be part of a secret code, and for some agents, that included their own shoelaces. Spies from various Eastern Bloc countries developed a complex and subtle system of non-verbal communication based on how their shoes were tied. A seemingly innocuous change in the lacing pattern, the color of the laces, or the way the knots were tied could signal a wealth of information to another agent. This silent, visual language allowed them to confirm meetings, signal danger, or pass on messages right in plain sight, turning a simple fashion choice into a covert tool of espionage.
23points
#20 A Deceased Pope Was Put On Trial By Pope Stephen VI
In one of the most bizarre and macabre events in papal history, Pope Stephen VI had the corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, exhumed and put on trial in 897. The decomposing body of Formosus, who had been d**d for about nine months, was dressed in full papal vestments, propped up in a chair, and forced to "stand" trial for crimes he had allegedly committed while he was pope. A deacon was appointed to speak on the corpse's behalf, but the outcome was predetermined. Formosus was found guilty, his papacy was declared null, the three fingers he had used for blessings were cut off, and his body was thrown into the Tiber River. This ghoulish spectacle, known as the "Cadaver Synod," remains a famously insane and disturbing chapter in the history of the Catholic Church.
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23points