Our avid readers will know how much we love memes here at Bored Panda, from science memes, viral 2020 memes, and very literal memes to more specific memes like jokes and memes for women to relate to and car memes to laugh at while you’re stuck in traffic. Because memes are the unofficial language of the internet and if you haven’t been off to the moon lately, you’ll surely know how to speak a word or two.
So this time, we have a special treat for your inner nerd or anyone who missed that once-in-a-lifetime chance to make their history teacher proud. Yep, we’re talking dates, events, and contexts that happened either far back or quite recently in the past.
Welcome to the history memes fueled by the r/HistoryMemes subreddit, where a whopping 2.7M members and self-confessed history experts crack jokes about the old days. Scroll down and upvote your favorites!
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I See What U Did There
Daaaaayumm! He ain’t wrong though. I live 2.5 miles from 800 year old rock paintings. Lord knows what my property use to be.
Selective Breeding
A Joke Book From 1940
Internet memes have been a widely used visual form of online rhetoric since the early 2000s. Today they have become a prominent method of communication across the internet, but as a research subject, they're still not very well-examined.
With 20 years of communicating in memes, we still don’t know their exact implications, says Rebecca Ortiz, an assistant professor of advertising at the Newhouse School. “Research on internet meme effects is still in its infancy. But we can look to past media effects research to hypothesize how people may be influenced by them.”
But At Least They Have The Cool Building With All The Flags In It
Professionals Have Standards
Not The Tea
We should never underestimate the power that social media and the content that’s surfing there has on our beliefs, identities, and culture. “The most shareable content on social media will reach the most people and potentially have the greatest effect,” she said.
Think of memes as bits of humor that capture shared cultural meanings and speak to some of the largest audience on our planet. “[They] are some of the most shareable pieces of content on social media and therefore they deserve scrutiny and better understanding as to how they may influence us,” Ortiz explained.
In that sense, understanding a meme is a way to bond with people and feel a strong sense of community. We as humans are wired to do so, so memes are the perfect gateway to that.
History Repeats Itself
So Much Spice!
"I receive spice. You receive... Asturias. Burgundy. Tuscana. And seven tons of gold. Add some cinnamon and I add the real crown of thorns."
Scientifically Proven
They Here Cause You Dragged Them Her
We also see this in the Netherlands now with Turkish and Morrocan people who were actually brought here in the 60s because the Dutch workforce was too small
If You Don't Believe Me Look At China Right Now
Black Panther Flashbacks
To be honest they can keep ours. We can't keep them safe and no one even comes to visit us.
I Dont Think You Want
Enslaving People Because Of Color Skin? Absolutely Barbaric!
Ah, Good Times
I am from the region actually. Very true, unfortunately. Nevertheless, apart from mildly to largely racist jerks in power on all sides, we are beautiful countries with great people. Worth visiting.
What A Nice Little White Girl
Just Make Up Your Mind!
And yet the USA isn't defined as a terrorist nation.That title is reserved for the rest of us.
*laughs In Nazi Gold*
Swiss is like "Si vis pacem prepara bellum" (if you want peace be ready for the war)
Life's A Witch
Also Forgot To Mention Hera Was His Sister...still A Classic Though
Well rape and incest are not really on "on brand" for Disney, though dead parents certainly are. Which makes one wonder why they chose Greek mythology as source material at all.
Oh Well Its Not Like We Can Do Anything About That
History happened, you can't change that, learn from it and move forward. "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it"
"George, I've Just Noticed Something..."
A Rare Glimpse Of A History Meme In The Wild
She is so bad she has been re-elected every time since... well... Almost forever.
A Toast To The Irish
This Country Is Gonna Be Lit!
Funny thing: when they wrote that they pictured muskets. Never would they have imagined an AK47
Literally Grave Robbers
At least when the British museum got hold of things, they were preserved, not destroyed or sold on the black market?
The Madlad
I am italian - if one of our president would have done such a thing we claimed it as a miracle... (Our president of republics are always old people)
Ratatouille’s Revenge
Where's one of those group shots of trump, Cruz and McConnell standing in front of a flag?
This Is In The Book I’m Reading
God Is An Englishman
The weather is terrible is all you need to know! So all hands on board and let's conquer a few sunny countries. 😂😂😂
I’m So Lucky
The Grand Tour Has A Lot Of Meme Potential
Guten Tag, Polen
It’s Not Even Close Really
One Of Our Fellow Scholars
This is so sad on so many levels. Women's rights are non existent in Turkey. Except for Melek Ipek who was acquitted for murdering her abusive husband, probably only because of the power of social media.
Belgian History 101
Oh No
"Do I look stupid with a mask on?" "Is the Spanish Flu real or a hoax made up by Henry Ford?"
Coincidence? I Think Not
Are you really certain the doves were so innocent? They certainly have a lot to do with a coo 😁
So True
Sparta, This Is
Manifest Destiny Be Like
Quick Fake China Is Asleep! Up-Vote Flag Of Real China
Faked Their Deaths
Before they were hired by the USA to work in the space and tech industries.
Not Sure If This Has Been Done Before
Yeah, Someone Definitely Used A Ruler To Draw Some Of These Borders
Not Cool Andrew Jackson
We See Through Your Disguise, Himmler
Are We The Baddies?
Have We Forgotten?
Don’t You Think?
Thought It Would Fit Here
Well, They Did Something At Least
History Doesn't Repeat Itself, But It Often Rhymes
Real historians don't comment on current events. They need to step back from the fever of breaking news. They be more like "mmmh, let me think about this, see you in a couple of decades OK ?"
Threw This Together Real Quick But I Think It’s Pretty Solid
*cane Noises Intensify*
My left-handed mother was forced to write with her right hand. The teacher would hit her over the knuckles with a ruler when she swapped back to her left hand. As a little 5 year old she managed to write right-handed which continued throughout her life, however, she did everything else left-handed.
Winner Of The 1446 Grammy Goes To
“Mr Watson, Come Here. I Want To See You”
The first sentence was "Das Pferd isst keinen Gurkensalat"(The horse does not eat cucumber salad) spoken by Phillip Reis, a German who invented the telephone first. Wikipedia: Johann Philipp Reis (German: [ʁaɪs]; 7 January 1834 – 14 January 1874) was a self-taught German scientist and inventor. In 1861, he constructed the first make-and-break telephone, today called the Reis telephone.
My Hero!
The Original Time Traveller Meme
Happy Mlk Day!
Money Print Time
Respect The Facts!
and the drama when you post a meme of one of the helicopter on the roof of the Hanoi embassy. With the text "at least we did not lose like France"
It's A Fact
Japan's Capital Be Like:
How Many People Know What Happened In Tasmania For Example?
Yes, Sorta Funny
Fun fact: Austria asked to Italy protection from Hitler, and Mussolini sent some division to borders - ready to help. Then the 2 fascists settled an agreement and the rest is history...
Why?
Not A Story A Red Neck Would Tell You!
Be Careful Everyone
lmao. Don't see them that often, but Internet Explorer jokes never fail to crack me up
Oh Boy, Here We Go
The British Are Wild
Rebel Scum
Slavery was enshrined in the Constitution of the Confederacy and explicitly protected. "Slavery" was also mentioned in many Confederate states' documents of secession. These are primary source documents from the Civil War. Anyone not believing that the US Civil War was about slavery is spouting their ignorance. (To be fair, a lot of U.S. textbooks contain convoluted nonsense. They pull from the texts written after the war by the Daughters of the Confederacy -- who unsurprising tried their best to create the "lost cause" narrative and spin history in their favor. It still shows up in textbooks today.)
Not Sure If This Is The Right Place To Post, But Whatever
Banning European Immigration In Order To Stop The Spread Of Deadly Viruses
Pretty Princess Palace
Hey Guys Remember In China When Nothing Happened At All
That's a joke on the simpsons, it was the phrase on the memorial when they went to China to adopt Selma's baby
No Laika No!
Even Then, We Lived In A Society
From Reddit: The painting is called "The last Judgement" and Hell is painted in the bottom left corner. This is where the pope would sit physically in the church: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Judgment_(Michelangelo)
At Least You Gotta Good Anthem Out Of It
I Am Surprised No One Has Made This Before
100% Legitimate Quote
So You’re Telling Me They’re Not All Cowards??
Don’t Ever Say That Again
Maybe It'll Work?
All The Cool Kids Are Doing It!
The Zimmermann Telegram Be Like
Zimmermann and the German government were dumb enough to admit what they have done without realizing what they really have done.
America Irl
It wasn't done to "end the war", it was done to test the new weapons.
Either That Or Joker Sent A D**k Pic To Charlie
Poor Yuri
Remember Kids, Don't Start A Land War In Asia
It Was A Serious Thing Tho
Nice Try, F.b.i.
He Got Plagued
Denmark "wasn't Norway part of Denmark from 1390 to 1814?" And Harald Bluetooth did also rule a part of Norway?
Austrian Hungary Empire In A Nustshell
WWII And Rome Are Pretty Cool Though
What's That?
Caput Mundi Intensifies
Both From A Metaphorical And Historical Pov
Most of the 'boomers' I know did more to fight for equality and rights for all than the keyboard warriors of today and they're not all financially secure as you seem to imply
Times Change
The 80's Were A Crazy Time
There's History Outside War Category You Know
Um... No, It's Not Like That
Hitler Was A Naughty Boy, He Wanted To Prank His Colleagues
Fly Me To The Moon
Thank You Mr.gorbachev!
The communist leader who ended communism... You did not bring back the Tsars, but thanks anyway dude.
Them Soldiers Be Slacking Tho
The German author Heinrich Böll became heavily addicted to Pervitin when he was in the Wehrmacht. It's somewhat funny to read his letters to his family from the front. He always snuck the question in somwhere if they just could send him another box of pills. Of course it's only amusing to read if you know he did have a full and good life later on.
Luther Shortened His 95 Theses Down To 1
Haha France Surrender So Funny
Something Something Charles II
He Had A Pretty Sweet Mansion Tho
Yes, but in Britain your class isn't defined by your wealth. He was born working class (then raised middle class by his aunt). His wealth didn't change that.
Heh Heh Boy
Does Music History Count?
Very funny, but lots of them rely on inaccurate or very generalizing history "knowledge"
BP titled it "To Prove That The Best Way To Learn History Is Through Memes" --- hint: no, it's not.
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I can relate to the last one(Jewish so everyone looks at you). My friends ask me questions that I don’t know the answer to because my grandmother grew up Jewish.
Hint: people can up- and downvote, so the last place probably changes continuously.
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I enjoyed all the commentaries and answers of BP readers from different nations. That is why I'm here. Love it!
I think they overplayed the whole imperialism/slavery/genocide trope. Yes, it happened, but it's not any of our faults (now in the 21st century) and there's a lot more to history then just that.
These are not funny but horrible. Actually made me sick reading them. So many inaccuracies, and misspellings. Please remove this feed.
but does it have any history memes on it? how am i supposed to learn when my shirt is only luxurious and colorful???
Load More Replies... Very funny, but lots of them rely on inaccurate or very generalizing history "knowledge"
BP titled it "To Prove That The Best Way To Learn History Is Through Memes" --- hint: no, it's not.
Load More Replies... I can relate to the last one(Jewish so everyone looks at you). My friends ask me questions that I don’t know the answer to because my grandmother grew up Jewish.
Hint: people can up- and downvote, so the last place probably changes continuously.
Load More Replies... I enjoyed all the commentaries and answers of BP readers from different nations. That is why I'm here. Love it!
I think they overplayed the whole imperialism/slavery/genocide trope. Yes, it happened, but it's not any of our faults (now in the 21st century) and there's a lot more to history then just that.
These are not funny but horrible. Actually made me sick reading them. So many inaccuracies, and misspellings. Please remove this feed.
but does it have any history memes on it? how am i supposed to learn when my shirt is only luxurious and colorful???
Load More Replies...