ADVERTISEMENT

American author and filmmaker Michael Crichton once said: "If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree." So let's take a look back at what events and people have 'planted' and 'grown' this tree we're all a part of called the present, shall we?

But since it's Friday, I think we can agree that something more refreshing than a textbook is needed. Luckily, we have just the thing. Two, actually.

Bored Panda decided to put together a follow-up collection to our earlier article and compile the best posts from the history memes Reddit page and HistoryInMemes Instagram account have recently released.

From making fun of the British Museum's never-ending thirst for artifacts to corrupt Presidents, continue scrolling, check the world history memes out, and upvote your favorites!

#1

A True Hero

A True Hero

Willem Arondeus was a moderately successful painter and writer living in the Netherlands. However, at the time his career began to improve, the Nazis had occupied his nation, and he decided to sacrifice personal success and wealth for the greater good, joining the Dutch resistance. Arondeus's skill as an artist allowed him to make fake ID cards, allowing Jewish refugees to hide more easily. However, the Nazi's Municipal Office for Population Registration made this far more difficult, as they kept exact records. With his resistance team, Arondeus devised a plan to bomb the office, which went off successfully. By doing so, they were able to steal a number of blank ID cards, and destroy enough records that any Jewish refugees could believably pretend to have had their files destroyed.
 
However, Arondeus was betrayed and captured. He refused to give information on his co-conspirators under torture, but after his home was raided, they found evidence that linked him to his allies. Arondeus then took full credit for the entire plan, allowing two of his friends to escape execution. His last words were "Let it be known that homosexuals are not cowards".

EquivalentInflation Report

Contrary to what some might think, history memes aren't just for the internet. Historian, college administrator, amateur homesteader, and writer Joshua Wilkey, for example, quite often uses them in teaching. "I even sometimes assign my students to use memes as a way to present what they are learning in the classroom," he told Bored Panda.

ADVERTISEMENT

These historical memes have been around in some form or another for thousands of years, too.

In 2016, archeologists uncovered a mosaic from the 3rd century B.C. in what was the ancient city of Antiocheia. The piece has three frames and seems to depict a bathing scene. The first frame is of a servant preparing a bath; the second frame, a young man running away from taking the bath, being pursued by an older servant who is unable to catch him; the last scene, a “reckless” but seemingly happy skeleton of the young man is sitting casually with a jug of wine.

The inscription below him reads: "Be cheerful and live your life." So you could say this historical meme is the original YOLO.

#5

It Really Do Be Like That

It Really Do Be Like That

historyinmemes Report

Add photo comments
POST
donotreplytokjk avatar
Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Joanna Lumley, of all people, worked tirelessly to get the Indian soldiers British army pensions, decades later after they fought for the British Empire. Yay, Lumley!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

But why bother with it and create one history meme after another in the first place? Well, Joshua Wilkey said that "as an academic pursuit, history teaches important skills like critical reading and analysis. For the average person, though, history is an important way of understanding the context of what is happening in the present."

ADVERTISEMENT

"I do not buy the argument that history repeats itself - and I think few professional historians would say that it does. It does, though, as Mark Twain once said, rhyme a lot. When one looks at the world as it is today, one cannot fully understand it absent knowledge of history," Wilkey explained. "One cannot, for example, understand the Black Lives Matter movement without understanding the long history of civil rights activism in the United States. One cannot understand what is happening in Afghanistan without understanding the long history of that particular part of the world, specifically through the lens of imperialism. Current events do not happen in a vacuum. Trying to understand or react to them absent an understanding of the history is detrimental at best."

#8

Elvis' Chance Of Getting Polio Has Left The Building; Thank You And Good Night!

Elvis' Chance Of Getting Polio Has Left The Building; Thank You And Good Night!

johnlen1n Report

ADVERTISEMENT

Of course, that doesn't mean that you have to be familiar with every period of every civilization. "One of my favorite TV shows growing up was The Andy Griffith Show, and in one episode, Aunt Bee remarked that history must be harder to learn in the present because there's more and more of it being made every day," Wilkey recalled. "However, there are some good strategies to employ to learn the depth of history in a way that is useful for the present."

ADVERTISEMENT

"Rather than broad surveys of history, whereby one attempts to learn the entire breadth of history for a given place, I think deeper dives are more useful. I prefer to study history topically rather than by place. For example, one can study the history of conflict, the history of racial inequality, the history of capitalism, or the history of imperialism, and follow the threads of those themes through both time and place, for a more comprehensive look at why things are the way they are."

The historian said that understanding how themes like economic inequality or political power have played out at multiple times and places is more useful for the average human than to learn facts about the history of a given place. "Ultimately, the goal should not be to learn history for the sake of being good at Jeopardy!, but for the sake of developing a more meaningful understanding of why things happened," Wilkey explained, adding that it's much more valuable than simply knowing what happened.

And it makes sense. You start making connections and developing ideas rather than just working on your memory. You start thinking.

#11

Dirty Dog

Dirty Dog

historyinmemes Report

Add photo comments
POST
laurencaswell4 avatar
Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lol yeah, like Hera was Heracles loving mother. And Zeus had self restraint. That movie didn't do Greek myths any favours!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

Once you decide on a topic you want to dig into, you need to start collecting sources. This, in turn, will help you understand the world history memes, too. "At the risk of having my professional historian card revoked, Wikipedia is a great place to go to learn the basics of a given event," Joshua Wilkey said. "At this point, it's rather more accurate than most easily accessible sources, including most online encyclopedias."

"Apart from that, I am a big fan of podcasts. Dan Carlin's Hardcore History is great for those who can devote substantial time to listening. Slow Burn is also fantastic, as is the podcast that accompanies the 1619 Project. This Land is wonderful for those who are interested in indigenous history. I could go on for days with podcast recommendations, but there are so many good ones out there, the possibilities are limitless. For print readers, ProPublica also has a wonderful deep dive into many important topics. I especially enjoyed their piece a few years ago titled 'Firestone and the Warlord' about the history of the rubber industry in Africa."

#14

There Goes Buck Franklin, The Impeccably Well Dressed Lawyer Who Practices Law Out Of A Tent

There Goes Buck Franklin, The Impeccably Well Dressed Lawyer Who Practices Law Out Of A Tent

johnlen1n Report

Add photo comments
POST
queeronabike avatar
Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not enough people know about Oklahoma Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_race_massacre

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#15

This Happened To My Grandfather When He Was Teaching Second Grade. The Kids Were So Traumatized By What They Saw A Lot Of Parents Had To Come Pick Them Up From School

This Happened To My Grandfather When He Was Teaching Second Grade. The Kids Were So Traumatized By What They Saw A Lot Of Parents Had To Come Pick Them Up From School

reddit.com Report

As for sourcing accurate materials, Wilkey said it's important to employ information literacy skills to vet any potential source. That includes these history memes, too. 

"While there's much to be said about the elitist and often-problematic nature of academic gatekeeping, the solution is not for anyone to publish anything they want, but rather, for us to engage with the public as much or more than we engage with each other as academics."

The historian likes to tell his students that if they are not engaging members of the general public with their work, then the public will be engaged by idiots, liars, and fear-mongers. "The average reader should make it a point to ask why they should believe any given source (including academic literature!). The fact that they found it via social media is often an argument against believing it," he said.

However, if it's more history memes that you're after, check out our piece on History Memes Explained, a cool social media project that not only collects but also dissects the best memes about our past.

#19

Trying To Get Rid Of The Evidence? Not On Mr Eisenhower's Watch!

Trying To Get Rid Of The Evidence? Not On Mr Eisenhower's Watch!

johnlen1n Report

Add photo comments
POST
lyuboiv avatar
Vorknkx
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then, some cowardly troll on the internet nowadays: "It's a cOnSpIrAcY."

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

You Can Always Rely On The Wise Words Of Captain Holt

You Can Always Rely On The Wise Words Of Captain Holt

johnlen1n Report

Add photo comments
POST
queeronabike avatar
Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Brooklyn Nine Nine was a fantastic show and one of those rare gems that only got better in later seasons. I'm so sad this show ended.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

Any Great Historical Figure Would Be Honoured To Be Played By Cillian Murphy, I'm Sure

Any Great Historical Figure Would Be Honoured To Be Played By Cillian Murphy, I'm Sure

johnlen1n Report

See Also on Bored Panda
#26

Feels Bad Man

Feels Bad Man

yuckytom Report

Add photo comments
POST
liamfarranree avatar
Liam Farranree
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This must be a reference to the famous Greek hero Homercles, like Pythagorous, "Homercles cares not for beans"

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#27

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

Polibiux Report

Add photo comments
POST
queeronabike avatar
Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I seriously think one of the arguments some Americans have against adding Puerto Rico and Washington DC as states is that they don't want to add more stars to the flag. (It's not a good argument.)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

Gotta Do Whatcha Gotta Do

Gotta Do Whatcha Gotta Do

historyinmemes Report

Add photo comments
POST
boredpanda_48 avatar
ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that's all very well but that shows seven women leaders. As a percentage of male leaders (something like 2000 or so worldwide in the same time period ... the first picture being cleopatra I believe) ... means that the chances of a woman starting a war is quite a lot lower. What we'd really need to know is the base rate of women leaders vs women leaders who started wars. I am pretty sure these seven are not the only women leaders in the last 2000 years...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#30

Must’ve Been Sloppy

Must’ve Been Sloppy

historyinmemes Report

Add photo comments
POST
lauraschimmler avatar
Laura1985
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lesser known fact: Just over a century later, a young writer named Ernest Hemigway used this document as a literary inspiration. ;)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#31

I Think We Can All Agree On This One

I Think We Can All Agree On This One

Lone_Wolf_888 Report

Add photo comments
POST
qcrhngd6gx avatar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

European history goes far deeper in time. There is simply more of it.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#32

'man, I Love This Skirt! Also, You Heard Khomeini's Latest Speech? That Guy Sure Is Whacky, Huh?'

'man, I Love This Skirt! Also, You Heard Khomeini's Latest Speech? That Guy Sure Is Whacky, Huh?'

johnlen1n Report

#33

"If There Was An Allied Hero Who Deserved To Be Remembered And Celebrated, This Was A Person With Few Peers"

"If There Was An Allied Hero Who Deserved To Be Remembered And Celebrated, This Was A Person With Few Peers"

Vonk_YT Report

#34

Feels Bad Man

Feels Bad Man

caulimovirus Report

Add photo comments
POST
ishma-in008 avatar
S.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For Chrome — press Ctrl + Shift + T to restore deleted windows/tabs! Or e Right-click a blank space on the tab bar at the top of the window and choose "Reopen closed tab."

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
See Also on Bored Panda
#35

Abc News Called It "The Poster Child Of Excessive Lawsuits" But Most People Don't Believe That Anymore

Abc News Called It "The Poster Child Of Excessive Lawsuits" But Most People Don't Believe That Anymore

1000smackaroos Report

Add photo comments
POST
jameskramer avatar
James016
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm glad I finally know the truth about this case. McDonalds did a great job on burying the details

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#39

Dammit, Marilyn! Not In Front Of The Democratic Party!

Dammit, Marilyn! Not In Front Of The Democratic Party!

somnum_osseus Report

Add photo comments
POST
sofacushionfort avatar
sofacushionfort
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A woman exploited since childhood self-destructs in front of millions while they laugh. Wonderful that we’re so far beyond that today

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

Greek Fire Was An Incendiary Substance Developed By The Byzantine Empire Around 666 Ad. It Would Mainly Be Used In Naval Battles, And Would Be Sprayed From A Nozzle Onto Nearby Enemy Ships

Greek Fire Was An Incendiary Substance Developed By The Byzantine Empire Around 666 Ad. It Would Mainly Be Used In Naval Battles, And Would Be Sprayed From A Nozzle Onto Nearby Enemy Ships

TheEliteKoala1 Report

Add photo comments
POST
donotreplytokjk avatar
Otter
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ever see that Game of Thrones meme that came out after Tyrion used the wildfire to incinerate Stannis's whole fleet? "NUKE YOUR ENEMIES WITH MEDIEVAL TECHNOLOGY", it said.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Note: this post originally had 119 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.