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.
UK Is Like Belgium
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
All Road Lead To Rome
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
Not exactly a valid comparison. The need for home maintenance has not disappeared.
Yes, and no. My parents bought a washingmachine when I was born and it died and honorable death when I was around 25. At the time, the products of that company were advertised to last a life-time. Now we have to make laws to forbid programmed obsolescence. Many people would not think of repairing stuff, because it is easier and cheaper to replace.
Load More Replies...My boomer parents taught me diy. If younger generations don't know how to do stuff - that's on the generations that didn't take the time to teach them.
Exactly. I'm a late boomer, and my daughter has all the traditional "womanly" skills, and can do car repair and basic plumbing and electricity. In fact, she's my primary mechanic. If I had had a son, he would have had the exact same skillset. Unfortunately, I knew nothing of woodworking or carpentry. I did teach her how to hammer a nail :/
Load More Replies...Even boomer guys who could build cars from spare parts can't do anything with the computerized versions today. My new car broke down and even the dealer shop was not allowed to physically touch anything that did not read as "broken" by computer diagnostic. Couldn't even just take a look at the fuel pump.My dad (Silent Gen) would do stuff like fix the toaster. Who is going to take time now to fix a $12 POS that was DESIGNED to break so you have to buy a new one and fill up landfills with more stuff?
Load More Replies...Was just talking about this very thing. My dad, now 90, could do most everything, plumbing, electrical, concrete, landscaping, work shop and tractor garage, correct pruning of all types of fruit trees and shrubbery. These days??? Can't even hire a "handyman" anymore around here. They may call themselves a handyman but they really only want the big money jobs. Just got ghosted by 3 different handyman companies because my request was a long list of little things, not a kitchen or bath remodel.
I do find some people whose skills with tools are so bad, if they had been cross makers 3,000 years ago in Jerusalem, Jesus would have died of old age.
I just love how the dog is supervising to make sure his owner gets it right.
Hmmm, I guess the baby boomers were too busy partying to teach their kids.
Yes. Not the best example -- home maintenance is a pretty generic idea and a valuable skill. But it's true that every time some new invention comes out making an old way of doing things obsolete, there are traditionalists who cry that the young are not learning the valuable old skills. I was in high school when pocket calculators were invented, and I recall teachers saying that with these new-fangled calculators, students weren't learning to use slide rules any more.
Wait but if millennials do not have those skills doesn't it means their parents, boomers, did not teach them that?
Maybe if millennials could afford to buy houses, they'd learn some DIY skills.
It is called experience. Every age group thinks the young guys know nothing. Then are surprised at how ten years later they have made all this cool stuff.
Seriously. Who cares if young people can't fix cars that trained mechanics can barely do anymore. My oldest son, a millennial, made a computer from spare parts and learned to code, just from hanging around with friends who like to do that stuff. You become an expert in the things that make sense at the time you are in. Watch HGTV sometime, when they are doing demo on some older home. A lot of the work homeowners tried to do themselves is dangerous crap and they are lucky their house hasn't burnt down.
Load More Replies...The generation that failed to teach their children DIY skills is complaining that their children lack DIY skills.
Millenials are forty year olds now. I can assure you, as one of the elders of this generation (yes, I like that joke), fork you. I can diy most past generations under the table with modern day skills, because I know how the internet works. We're just a generation that makes choices. We choose to enjoy skillful work or we find a way to have someone help us if it's not something we are good at. You can't be a partner, a parent, a full time employee, a home keeper, a gardener and fix and build everything without making those choices.
You can thank us for creating jobs, then. Imagine there was no need for plumbers, electricians, and builders...
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?
Note: this post originally had 129 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
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...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...