29 Bizarre Historical Events So Odd You Need To Read Them Twice

When you think of a war hero, a stray dog isn’t the first image that comes to mind. But during World War 1, a short-tailed puppy wandered into the 102nd Infantry Regiment’s camp and was welcomed despite an official ban on pets. ‘Stubby’, as he was known, proved to be a valuable addition to the division, warning troops of gas attacks, tracking down wounded soldiers and even catching a German spy. He was eventually promoted to Sergeant, becoming the only dog to earn a rank in combat.

The 1140 Siege of Weinsberg marked a significant moment in the struggle between King Conrad III and Count Welf VI over control of the Holy Roman Empire. In an attempt to force Count Welf VI’s supporters in Weisenberg to surrender, King Conrad put them under siege. As part of their surrender, the women of Weisenberg negotiated to leave with only what they could carry on their shoulders. In an unexpected twist, the women chose to carry their husbands on their backs, saving them from a harrowing fate.

When you think of ways to fight a rat infestation, a cat drop probably isn’t at the top of the list. In 1960, the island of Borneo was overrun by rats after the pesticide DDT wiped out all the local cats. The British Royal Air Force came up with Operation Cat Drop to parachute cats, equipment and supplies onto the island. The new cats prevented the rats from causing damage to crops and spreading disease.

The Cod Wars of the 1950s to 1970s began when Iceland, asserting itself as a free nation, extended its fishing zone. Despite this, the British continued to fish in the exclusive territorial zone, leading to escalated tensions between the two countries. Icelandic forces resorted to ramming British vessels to get them to leave the zone. Meanwhile, British fishermen retaliated by pelting the Icelandic coast guards with potatoes, eggs and even bags of flour.

The 1788 Battle of Karánsebes (now present-day Romania) started off as a dispute between different units of the Austrian army over alcohol, but soon escalated into the worst friendly fire incident in history. The battle happened during the Austro-Turkish war and surprisingly involved no enemies. A case of mistaken identity, combined with drunkenness and miscommunication, led to hundreds dead and many injured before enemy forces even arrived. When the Ottoman forces eventually arrived two days later, they found the Austrian army in shambles and easily took control of Karánsebes.

Zheng Yi Sao, or Ching Shih, was a former sex worker who became one of history’s most prolific pirate lords. Following her husband Cheng’s mysterious passing six years later, she married his adopted son and heir to gain full control of the fleet. At the height of her reign, she commanded thousands of men and successfully defended her fleet. Eventually, Zheng negotiated her surrender with the Chinese government. She was pardoned, given a cash settlement and allowed to keep a few small ships.

Known as the shortest war in history, the Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 lasted only approximately 45 minutes. The passing of the pro-British Sultan of Zanzibar, Hamad, and the appointment of his successor without British Consul permission sparked the war. The British Consul ordered the successor Sultan Khalid to leave the palace, but he chose to barricade himself inside the palace instead. The British bombarded the palace, causing the Sultan’s forces to surrender swiftly. The war eventually ended when Britain selected a new Sultan.

Dubbed history’s longest ever commercial oceanic flight, the "Double Sunrise" was launched during World War II in 1943. The flight between Australia and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) was essential for moving supplies and important people across the Pacific. It lasted well over 27 hours, meaning those onboard got to experience two sunrises. Passengers flew over enemy territories and braved grueling flight conditions. The reason? A certificate for being one of the few in history to fly over 24 hours and induction into the “Secret Order of the Double Sunrise”.

In 1816, a weather disaster called The "Year Without a Summer" completely shocked the world. The eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia sent ash and gases into the atmosphere, triggering extreme climate change. In parts of North America and Europe, these changes caused crops to fail, which in turn sparked famine and unrest.

The War of the Bucket was a war fought between two Italian cities, Modena and Bologna in 1325. The reason? A stolen wooden bucket. Modenese soldiers stole it as a prank, but Bologna was enraged and raised an army. After 2000 casualties on both sides, Bologna lost the battle. Modena kept the bucket and to this day, it remains displayed in the city's Ghirlandina Tower

The Pastry War began in 1832, after a French pastry chef in Mexico claimed Mexican officers vandalized and looted his shop. When his demands for compensation were ignored by the Mexican government, he took his grievances to the French government. France used this as justification to invade Mexico in 1838, sparking the Battle of Veracruz. A year later, French forces withdrew, but only after Mexico agreed pay reparations to disgruntled French citizens.

Also known as the War of the Stray Dog, the Incident at Petrich occurred in 1925. After chasing his dog across the border into Bulgaria, a Greek soldier was shot by Bulgarian sentries. In response to his murder, Greece invaded Petrich, resulting in casualties on both sides. The League of Nations eventually intervened, resulting in the Treaty of Petrich.

The war of the Golden Stool occured in the year 1900. It was triggered by the British governor’s demands to sit on the Ashanti (now Ghanaian) people’s sacred stool. To the Ashanti, the stool wasn’t just a stool, but a symbol of unity and the cultural identity of their nation. While the British eventually won the war, the stool remained hidden and untouched.

In 1739, the War of Jenkins’ Ear began. This was after an incident In 1731 where Robert Jenkins, a British captain, had his ear severed by Spanish coast guards during a search and seizure in 1731. In 1738 he showed the British Parliament what appeared to be his amputated ear, demanding justice. Britain went to war with Spain over this and other grievances with Spain.

The Toledo War took place in the 1830s after a dispute ensued between Ohio and Michigan over control of the city of Toledo. Tensions raged, with both sides dispatching military forces. Astonishingly, the war only had one casualty—a sheriff stabbed in the side with a penknife.

The early 1960s Lobster War was a diplomatic dispute between Brazil and France over the fishing rights of the lobsters located off the Brazilian coast. Tensions escalated in 1963, with both countries deploying warships. A month later, France withdrew its ships. Over a year later, after the Fifth Brazilian Republic was established, the Lobster War officially ended with both countries signing an agreement. The terms allowed France to catch lobster in the area over a five-year period and share the profits with Brazil.

In 1035, three first cousins all named Sancho, claimed their share of the Kingdom of Sancho. Between 1065 and 1067, Sancho I of Aragon, Sancho II of Navarre, and Sancho III of Castile waged war against each other for control of the divisions of the region. The War of the Three Sanchos, which resulted in multiple raids, sieges and counterattacks, eventually ended in a stalemate.

To invade Normandy in 1944, British and American authorities planned a secret military operation known as D-Day or Operation Overlord. A crossword puzzle in The Daily Telegraph newspaper caused a security scare for British authorities ahead of D-Day as it contained several clues that revealed the secret military operation. Fearing that sensitive information was being leaked to enemies, they tracked down the crossword compiler. After interrogating him, the authorities realized it was all just a big coincidence.

The 1797 Battle of Fishguard, also known as the last invasion of the British mainland, was the most recent time enemy forces landed on British soil. Hoping to set off a revolt, a small French army led by Colonel William Tate sailed to Wales. Upon arrival, many of the French soldiers deserted their posts in favor of looting the locals’ wine. This led to clashes between the locals and the French, with the British army arriving in Fishguard two days later. In disarray and with no way to escape, the French were forced to surrender.

The "Year of Three Popes" happened in 1978, when the Catholic Church experienced a shocking turn of events. Pope Paul VI died in August, and his successor, Pope John Paul I, died of a heart attack just 33 days after his inauguration. The election of Pope John Paul II marked the third and final change for the Church that year. He went on to become one of modern history’s most influential popes.

Can meat really fall from the sky? In 1876, a small farm in Kentucky reported chunks of red meat falling from the sky. The “Meat Shower” spanned 100 yards and only lasted a couple of minutes. Despite several theories, such as vultures accidentally losing their lunch while in flight, the exact cause of the event remains a mystery.

The 1521 Siege of Tenochtitlan marked the last known military use of the trebuchet (a fancy term for a catapult). When running out of ammunition during a siege, the Spanish Conquistador took several days to build a makeshift version of a trebuchet. Upon first launch, the stone shot straight up, came down and smashed the trebuchet to pieces. Needless to say, their attempts to build a functioning trebuchet were unsuccessful.

The 1659 Kettle War started when the Dutch Republic and the Holy Roman Empire fought over access to the Scheldt River. The Holy Roman Empire sent a small fleet led by the flagship Le Louis to challenge the Dutch blockade of the river. In retaliation, the Dutch fired a single cannonball from their ship, the Dolfijn, striking a kettle sitting on the deck of the Le Louis. Unbelievably, this lone strike marked the end of the confrontation with the Le Louis ship retreating.

"You don't get rich writing science fiction. If you want to get rich, you start a religion". These words were uttered by L Ron Hubbard, science fiction author turned religious leader, at an Eastern Science Fiction Association meeting in 1948. Six years later, Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology, a venture that led to him amassing thousands of followers and over $26 million in assets by the time he died in 1986.

What better way to prepare for a disaster than to plan for a zombie apocalypse? In 2011, junior military officers devised CONOP 8888 or the Counter-Zombie Dominance plan. It was a fictitious plan designed by the officers in training to learn the Department of Defense's Joint Operational Planning and Execution System (JOPES). This plan not only made the system more interesting to learn, but also avoided the use of real-life scenarios and classified information.

The USS William D. Porter (DD-579) was a destroyer ship used in World War II. Due to a string of misfortunes, it earned the nickname "the unluckiest ship in the U.S. Navy”. From almost assassinating the President of the United States with a live torpedo in 1943, to accidentally causing underwater explosions, it always seemed to narrowly avoid disaster. This was until 1945, when it sank following a kamikaze attack during the Battle of Okinawa.

The Straw Hat Riot of 1922 broke out on September 13th in New York. Straw hats were an acceptable summer trend in men's fashion up until September 15th every year. A group of teens sparked the infamous riot when they descended on the city 2 days earlier to mock men for wearing their hats. They stomped on hats belonging to dock workers, which led to a violent brawl in the streets. Police had to intervene to stop the chaos.

In 1942, American citizens were left confused when air raid sirens sounded and the country’s armed forces lit up the night sky with anti-aircraft guns. This was due to military radars detecting what appeared to be an enemy aircraft in Los Angeles. In a surprising twist, there actually was no confirmed enemy, just perceived danger and friendly fire.

In 2004 and 2015, U.S. Navy pilots captured footage of mysterious objects moving in ways no known aircraft could. It wasn’t until 2020 that the Pentagon released these alleged “UFO” videos. The footage garnered a ton of publicity and prompted speculation over whether it was an alien spacecraft or just another case of human interpretive error or advanced technology. The origin of the objects caught on camera has never been confirmed by the Pentagon.