ADVERTISEMENT

I graduated high school before Instagram was created, and maybe that’s a good thing. Otherwise, I could've spent entire classes scrolling through accounts like The Historical Meme, laughing at the ineffectiveness of the Maginot Line instead of reading about it in my textbooks. Luckily, today I can indulge in this at 3 AM, so it doesn’t interfere with my life—yay! I invite you to join me, preferably at a more reasonable hour, to revisit what you've learned about our past (or discover it for the first time) in a refreshingly unconventional way.

More info: Instagram

#1

Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

roman.honour Report

HF
Community Member
1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

also good for deterring the monsters under the bed

View more comments
RELATED:
    #2

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    Pedantic Panda
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fridges don't need any more rest, they're always chilling.

    View more comments

    To learn more about history, we contacted Howard Dorre, writer and co-host of the presidential history blog and podcast Plodding Through The Presidents, which he creates with his wife.

    "History can offer the average person a better understanding of their world, through real-life stories of conflict and triumph," Howard told Bored Panda.

    Indeed, these memes can ignite your curiosity, and that spark can continue to burn even after you're done scrolling through the list. Don't worry—you can continue your studies elsewhere.

    Some things, however, may offer the most value for your time and effort, depending on your interests and background, and provide valuable context that will help you get the bigger picture.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #3

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    #4

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    JimSteve
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually, the British are just one of the most recent of hundreds of civilisations who took things from other cultures. Everyone just hates on the British because they're still around.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT

    "For Americans, I think it's important to understand the Revolutionary period and the formation of our Constitutional government, the history of slavery in the United States and the events leading up to the Civil War, the Reconstruction period, and the gains for African Americans that were erased with Jim Crow, the fight against fascism during World War II, and the Civil Rights era in the 1960s," Howard Dorre said.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    "Together these periods tell the story of America's promise of equality and freedom in a way that makes it clear that we're not on some automatic steady path toward a better world."

    #6

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Can I apply my own anaesthetic?" "Sure, knock yourself out!"

    View more comments
    #7

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    federalenforcedmemes Report

    BeesEelsAndPups
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is the Treaty of Windsor, which creates a code of mutual protection between the two nations, and is the oldest military alliance in the world. It was born out of a similar treaty signed between France and Castile. The French wanted access to Castile's large naval fleet in their never ending wars with England, and the Castilians were interested in expanding their growing kingdom into Lusitania and the Islamic Caliphates. Basically, the Treaty of Windsor was born out of mutual fear of a common enemy. It was not actually the first or last treaty between the two nations, but the guarantees in the treaty helped solidify Portuguese independence, and established a long history of mutual defense, that still holds today. This included England's assistance to Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars, and the joint Anglo-Portuguese army that drove the French out of the Iberian Peninsula.

    Chewie Baron
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Still in effect today.

    Richman “Richman” Aust
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    England also helped remove Napoleon from Spanish and Portuguese lands after they French invaded in the early 1800s. Reference "The Peninsula Wars"

    BSellen
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The last alliance of elves and men.

    lwolf1952
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was a really Great War, everybody wanted to join in.

    Dusty's mom
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Thank you Philippa of Lancaster!

    Isabel Galvez
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I bet Portugal felt as happy as Professor Snape about it.

    View more comments
    #8

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    XenoMurph
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bringing up the revolution again?

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Pernille
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the Australians couldn't even beat the emus.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT

    You can choose from a variety of sources to deepen your understanding of history!

    In the fall of 2020, a US survey of 1,816 people revealed that the top three were all in video format:

    1. Documentary film/TV — 69%;
    2. Fictional film/TV — 66%;
    3. TV news — 62%.

    Interestingly, more traditional sources, such as museums (35%), nonfiction books (32%), and lectures (12%) filled out the middle to lower ranks of this hierarchy.

    #11

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    DaisyBee
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No, your ancestors were! - Sincerely, the Irish

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #12

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I recently saw someone doing this on the lake where I live. He was on a paddleboard holding what looked like bat wings. It was a windy day, so he was getting some good air I guess. :)

    View more comments
    #13

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    EuroWynner Report

    Roger9er
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He does look like he came straight from that era, though!

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Some much-welcome news is that the public sees clear value in studying history, even relative to other fields.

    Rather than asking whether respondents thought learning history was important—a costless choice—the researchers asked instead how essential history education is, relative to such fields as engineering and business. The results were encouraging: 84 percent of respondents felt history was just as valuable as the professional programs.

    #14

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Abel
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Pictured: DJ Francis Drake rapping like there is no tomorrow

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #15

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    LizzieBoredom
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tea drinking came to England in 1650, but because it was expensive, didn't become the most popular drink in England until the early 19th century. It took oolong time.

    View more comments
    #16

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Corvus
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She didn't know at the time... and when she started to know, it was way too late.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #18

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    federalenforcedmemes Report

    Legendbird
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, I know I'm not getting shot in Norway.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #22

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    TotallyNOTAFox
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Everyone: "Tanks can't cross the Ardennes!" - Heinz Guderian: "Halt mal kurz mein Bier"

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #24

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Luis Hernandez Dauajare
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "When ze rockets go up, vho cares vhere zey come down...That's not mein department!"

    View more comments
    #25

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    der sebbl
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For those who don't know: after WW1, Germany started to design new tanks, which they weren't allowed to because of the Versailles treaty. To disguise that, they stated that they were building tractors ( don't ask me why that worked)

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #27

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Corvus
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Germans had a similar experience too...

    View more comments
    #28

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Tom Brincefield
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In terms of total air power, the US Navy is second in power to the US Air Force. 3rd is Russia, with the US Army and the US Marine Corp rounding out the top 5.

    View more comments
    #29

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Crystal
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So cruel! Ironically it was apparently Canada that passed laws to ban liquor first, then USA followed while Canada repealed decision. Canadian bootleggers got rich after that. 😁

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #30

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    historysfinestmemes Report

    Marja Berisa
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hey hey hey, he tried but we fought back! - Finland -

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #32

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Corvus
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ah yes, I knew a girl in college who admired Stalin. Told her that if he were in power, she'd very likely be designated an enemy of the state due to being in college.

    View more comments
    #33

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    JimSteve
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Belgium: "I had one colony but I did some of the worst things out of all of you."

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #34

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    JimSteve
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Boomers had to deal with all of the sh*t that happened afterwards so cut them some f*c*i*g slack modern hate culture!

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #35

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    The spooky explanation
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Istanbul not Constantinople, yeah it's Istanbul not Byzantium

    View more comments
    #36

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    Luis Hernandez Dauajare
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Are you applying for a position that involves two lanterns, a horse and a loud voice?

    View more comments
    #37

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hawaii was unified in 1795 but it was independent for 800 years or so before that. By culture, language and customs, Hawaii was a country long before European maps designated it as such. If we applied the same metrics to Hawaii as contemporary European "countries" , Hawaii was a country a lot longer than. 103 years.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #38

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Dragons Exist
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wyoming and Utah always look like two rectangles that overlapped and Wyoming won the overlapping corner

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #39

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Nea
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can someone help me wiyth this one?

    View more comments
    #40

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    roman.honour Report

    Indosidius
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You forgot South Africa. The 50 000 white women and children that died under terrible conditions in concentration camps. And the 100 000's more African natives that also died in similar camps that no record was kept off, except for the skeletons in the mass Graves....

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #42

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Janissary35680
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This happens frequently to very flat countries with no natural geographical borders.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #43

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Owen
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sacha Baron Cohen. He will always get an upvote from me. One of the best satirists of all time.

    View more comments
    #44

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Corvus
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Being well-fed is evil capitalism. Therefore, we shall stay hungry, comrades!

    View more comments
    #45

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Ellinor
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My great-grandfather was living in the region of Lorraine during WW2. History class became really weird when my teacher asked us to talk about our families' experiences in the war...

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #46

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #47

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    OldPandaOfficial
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same with that Greek in Magadha (India) 😂

    View more comments
    #48

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    KittyGaming
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah what about France? We literally have a friendship bracelet with France, they have the Eiffel tower and they gave us the Statue of Liberty

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #50

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Janissary35680
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Portuguese end-ran the Ottoman Empire by methodically discovering the route around Africa into the Indian Ocean. The Spanish tried to one-up them by heading west around the globe instead. They didn't appreciate how far it was at the time or know that there was a whole other continent in the way.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #51

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    v
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I wish people would step away from the idea that the U.S. president is the cause of all good or bad that happens during their tenure.

    View more comments
    #52

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Nea
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My Himalayas 🧡 One of the best parts of being an Indian is to be able to visit the most beautiful hills in the world and call them mine 🙂🙂

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #54

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Janissary35680
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Beware of gifts bearing Greeks"

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #57

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #61

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    K- THULU
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That was the choice they gave Australia......( last time we had conscription ... all birthdates put in a barrel if you win, you fight)

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #62

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Corvus
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Spoiler alert: Mehmet II already had cannons. The walls didn't last long :P

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #63

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    federalenforcedmemes Report

    Wingsofwrath
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    See, that's the problem, you must have gotten confused, that's not your bae, that's the Byzantine empire circa 1250...

    View more comments
    #64

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Kalikima
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I get it, I think.. but it's not funny..

    #65

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    JimSteve
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The German armed forces were the most technologically advanced for the entire of the 2nd world war. They just couldn't compete with the allies' production capacity

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #66

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    federalenforcedmemes Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #67

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    federalenforcedmemes Report

    #68

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    federalenforcedmemes Report

    Owen
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How to not have a civil war should be required learning.

    View more comments
    #69

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    juliuscheemsar Report

    Freya the Wanderer
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The running joke about the Holy Roman Empire is it was not an empire, nor Roman, nor Holy.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #70

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #72

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    1 year ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1939, not 1940. Do Americans really thin the war in Europe only started when they were forced to join in?

    View more comments
    #73

    Funny-Historical-Memes-Jokes

    thehistoricalmeme Report

    ADVERTISEMENT