There are quite a few people who mistakenly see history as a boring subject. Learning about events that happened years ago or people who are long gone may seem like a waste of time. But the truth is, it’s actually much more than memorizing a whole lot of dates, figures, and names. And it can be pretty entertaining, too!
Just take a look at the r/HistoryMemes subreddit, which is purely dedicated to sharing epic jokes about the old days. More than 3.6M self-described history experts continuously share hilarious takes on our past and mix in a little fun to the facts.
We have selected some of the best posts from the r/HistoryMemes online community to prove that history is not dull at all. Continue scrolling, and let us know which ones you enjoyed most! Also, if you can’t get enough of funny history memes, be sure to check out our previous posts right here, here, and here.
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Impressive
History Meme
I Am Confusion
Since 2012, the r/HistoryMemes subreddit has amassed more than 3.6M members with several thousand researchers scrolling through the forum at any given time. Online communities like this one show us how learning events that happened before us can help us better understand the present.
Finding the time to explore history is always a great idea. This way, we fill our heads with compelling knowledge and valuable context that allows us to see how our actions shaped the world. While not all things in our past are fun and full of joy, there are plenty of interesting topics for virtually everyone.
To learn more about this subject and why history buffs enjoy looking at hilarious Reddit memes about our past, we reached out to Darren R. Reid, Ph.D., a lecturer in history at Coventry University. When asked whether funny pictures and jokes can be used in teaching, he said that they are a great way of communicating complex ideas in a fun and accessible way.
It Really Do Be Like That (Via: @russiansinlondon)
We Love Petty
Thanks For Clarifying
History Meme
"They can be very clever and I think students really appreciate using memes to help them to connect to the topics they’re studying," Reid told Bored Panda. When so many people enjoy encountering funny history memes online, the lecturer said that "when they’re good, they are intelligent, witty, and fun. They also help people easily understand (and remember!) important events or ideas."
While some believe that history is a dull subject that is slowly losing its significance in the academic world, Reid said that it’s, in fact, one of the most enduring and popular ones.
"Practically everyone, at some point in their life, will set out to learn something about the past. History memes let us explore that enthusiasm in a new way, connecting with a broader and younger audience."
"If someone doesn’t love history yet, they probably haven’t learned about the area and period that will capture their imagination," he continued. "Memes are a great way to tell stories in a really accessible way — and they help people to learn about compelling chapters of the past that they didn’t even know existed."
It Do Be Like That
History Meme
History Meme
Big Brain Meme
Studying the little details, even if from Reddit memes, that surround a specific era or event can help us deepen our knowledge and grasp why things happened the way they did. After all, learning about our past can change our perspective, improve critical thinking, and let us come up with new brilliant ideas. While the basic facts provide us with context, understanding how civilizations, cultures, and governments evolved is the truly fascinating part.
I Still Do This
Sober me and drunk me need to have a talk about online shopping then 🤣
You’ve Got My Support
Quit Horsing Around
I can see myself doing this in that past life, and ending the whole plan in one snort😂
Father Of John Wick
If you’re wondering why people should pursue history at all and why there are so many members in the r/HistoryMemes subreddit, it "teaches you how to investigate complex, world-shaping events," Reid explained. "It teaches you how to systematically find and analyze evidence. It teaches you how to communicate your ideas. At Coventry University, our students even learn how to make documentaries."
"People who study history become critical thinkers with a powerful analytical toolset and the ability to communicate complex ideas," he added. "Those are incredibly important skills — and they develop them whilst learning about the past and the forces that have shaped our society."
Reid stressed that studying history is not just about gaining knowledge: "It’s about gaining important skills that can be used to find success in a dizzying array of jobs and careers."
First Roman Meme
Inspired By A Different Post Made By U/Modshave2muchpower
I Love How The Horseshoe Crab Refuses To Evolve
I learned recently that modern cats are very similar to ancient cats. Dogs though have evolved quite a bit. From only an evolutionary standpoint, that would suggest that cats evolved humans to better serve them instead of the other way around.
The Great War Was Just One Big Tragedy
War is so sad. Millions of people dying for small increases in land or the fact that one person believes in a different facet of a god. Or in the case of many wars, nothing at all.
More Like Months
However, with so much information and funny history memes floating around the web, not every historic truth or detail is true. Some might even believe in false facts and bogus theories without actually knowing they are incorrect. Reid explained that we must check our sources. "The internet is an incredible tool, but it is also responsible for producing and disenchanting a lot of bad information."
Absolute Queen
Somebody Wanna Tell Him?
After One Of Stalin's Speeches People Were So Scared To Be The First One To Stop Clapping That The Applause Went On For 11 Minutes. Eventually The Director Of A Paper Factory Was The First One To Sit Down. That Night He Was Arrested And Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison
The More You Know
And over the years, the Dutch has learnt from this and enhanced their wall building skills. They are now able to keep even the sea at bay back home.
"Don’t take anything for granted," he said. Today, we can find documents, letters, speeches, and many more sources quite quickly, so it’s always important to check how people support their points. "Look to the works of credible scholars to ensure the accuracy of whatever you’ve read or whatever you intend to produce," the lecturer added.
But for now, let’s return to our selection of Reddit memes on historical events, shall we? There’s still plenty of them on this list for you to check out!
Deep Stuff
Sounds Like A Donda Bar
For The Glory Of Rome
Darren R. Reid advised you to be curious and explore the past. "Learn the lessons our ancestors teach us through their words and actions. Learning about the past is one of the best ways to understand why we — all of us — act the way we do."
On October 26 2001, An Entire Country Decided To Wipe Their Ass With Their Own Constitution.
Family Tree Goes Brrrrrrr
Gotta Respect The Ogs
Come On Bruv
Are you sure you've been laughing for 10 minutes straight? Have you checked the clock?
Goes For Almost Every Movie
Smart Tactic
Tanegashima Go Bang
Stock Market Hurts So Bad Rn
In the end, Caesar gets free, assembles an army, catches the pirates and has them crucified.
Who's Ready To Lose A Few Limbs And Earn A Whole Penny?
Two Cities Famous For History Of Slave Trade
We Need More Chungus
Please Help Me
Guilty Pleasure
Sadge
Ulysses Has No Time For This White Supremacist Bullshit
Ouch That One Hurts
Who’s Down?
Good Thinking
I’m A Disappointment
Aliens Do Exist
A Good Thanksgiving Dinner Convo Starter For You All (Penicillin Wouldn’t Be Discovered Until 1928)
It All Makes Sense Now
The Good Ole Days
Ethiopia Appreciation Post
I Came, I Saw, I Got Misquoted
Tea Merchants
China was the producer, UK the consumer and the rest not super relevant? Seems accurate.
History Meme
Not A Conflict You Expect
Team Trees, Circa 1800s
We All Know The Deal
I mean, it's better than the opposite. For years, historians would straight-wash history. They'd read lines like this from Emily Dickinson and still insist that she was absolutely 100% straight. "Susie, forgive me Darling, for every word I say — my heart is full of you, none other than you is in my thoughts, yet when I seek to say to you something not for the world, words fail me. If you were here — and Oh that you were, my Susie, we need not talk at all, our eyes would whisper for us, and your hand fast in mine, we would not ask for language."
You Know What Time It Is
I Hear Symphonies In My Head
Loneeeely, I’m Mr Lonelyyyyy
plus he taxed urine and still nowadays "vespasiano" is a synonim for wc
Don’t At Me
Only rather recently people have progressed past that stick up their arses to see the funny side of our ancestors. There was a time, when I was a wee lad, laughing at the absurdness of the past would earn you quite the spanking. That was just a few decades years ago.
I Aways Thought That Tumblr Invented That Word
He Is A Bit Stupid, Just A Bit...
Correction: The so-called German hyperinflation took place in 1923, not 1929.
Let People Enjoy What’s Enjoyable Jeeze
What Happened To Your Country? It Got Wololoed
We Missed A Step, You Guys
I’m Scared
Moose cavalry will beat horse cavalry because moose are terrifying.
Need Some God
Was Listening To Bush’s Post 9/11 Speech And Though Of This
Shoutout To Portugal
Papa Elon Got Nothing On Musa
@kairoshq Is The Best Account You’re Not Following!
Buddy Is Onto Something
It's Hsrd Being The King Of Cocaine. Only Buying Hippos Can Keep Pablo Happy
They said he spent 10,000 dollars a year on just rubber bands for the money
Here They Come!
Isn't this a misattribution, and an incomplete statement too? It wasn't said by Lord Kelvin, but by Albert Michelson at an inauguration speech six years before it's supposed attribution. Also what Michelson said was that the great principles had already been discovered, and that physics would henceforth be limited to finding truths in the sixth decimal place. Lord Kelvin did mess up some predictions - like the famous one about aeroplanes never becoming a practical success - but this was not one of them.
How Original
Pure Power
Comment Which One You Are
I Wish They Did
In September Of 1944, 9 U.s Pilots Ejected Out Of Their Planes Onto The Japanese Island Of Chichi Jima. 8 Of Them Were Captured, Executed, And Ritually Cannibalized By Japanese Soldiers. The Sole Survivor, George H.w Bush, Landed Far Away From The Island In The Water, And Was Later Rescued
Spoiler Alert: He Gets Eaten By A Goddess’ Private Part
Einstein Was Offered The Presidency Of Israel In 1952, But Turned It Down, Stating: "I Am Deeply Moved By The Offer From Our State Of Israel, And At Once Saddened And Ashamed That I Cannot Accept It."
Remember Kids, If A Woman With A Mask Walks UPS To You In A Dark Alley And Asks If She's Pretty, Say "Maybe" And Run!
Ahh S**t Here We Go Again
Me So Smart
Happy 93rd Anniversary Of The Character That Ruined Public Domain
This happened in 1998, not 1984. and it was from 75 to 95 years. Finally, the old movies goes into public domain, not the character, which is a trademark.
Just Two Kings Appreciating Each Other
There is an (unproven) anecdote that Richard one morning awoke from his slumber in his heavily guarded headquarter and found something on his nightstand - a cake. Saladin had sent one of his assassins to place it there as a message: "we could have killed you if we wanted to."
He Was Also The Last Republican Elected President Without Winning The South
But Chernoooooobyl
What The F……..
Stumped Em
Istanbul actually has a Greek root. It (most likely) comes from "is tin Polin" which means "into the city" and "the city" was Constantinople.
You Better Not Complain About More Conquests.
The Day I Discovered What A Real Warhammer Looked Like, My Disappointment Was Immeasurable And My Day Was Ruined
I Guess You Could Call The Battle Of Messines…a Banger
Should He Be Remembered Positively Or Negatively?
Never Get Obsessive And Go Down Wikipedia Rabbit Holes
I Know When I'm Lost, Time To Grind Again
Most Of Them Are Wholesome Af
Kentucky Please Excuse Yourself
I Thought Krakens Were Real Though
Sinbad the Sailor (Arabian Nights) always went out with a full crew on a big ship . . . but came back ALONE with gold, valuable stuff and a great story . . . only the sea knows . . .
Booo!
Too Much Undeserved Abuse Given To The French
Oh Canada
The Number Of Impaled Ottoman Soldiers Has Really Spiked
“Importing”
He Would’ve Loved Spotify Wrapped
Africa
Cato Was Not Expecting That. More Context In The Comments
Context (from reddit): "Context: Caeser and Cato were in the middle of the heated argument during a senate meeting when Caeser received a letter from someone, Cato then asked caeser to read the letter aloud in the senate and the letter turned out to be a love letter from Cato's sister who was in love with Caeser. This is like something out of a comedy movie."
A Early Milestone For Any History Buff
Dropping nukes is unjustifiable. There were other ways to end the war with Japan.
Epic Chernobyl Meme
Playing The Long Game...
Marshall Zhukov Was Introduced To Coke By Eisenhower After Ww2, The Man Then Asked For Them To Be Secretly Shipped Into The Soviet Union.
Who Will Win
That Shit Heat
No, Just Because A Staggering Amount Of Soviets Died Does Not Mean They Did The Most To Defeat Nazi Germany. With That Said, The Soviet Union Truly Was The Primary Cause For Nazi Germany's Defeat And Claiming Otherwise Is Foolishness
Most of the soviet casualities were caused by Stalin's decision to execute his most capable officers out of fear they could be traitors. Together with inferior equipment and tactical experience in the early stages. And it was basically the unplanned italian invasion of Greece that caused the Wehrmacht to attack Rusia during winter as they had to assist Italy first
It's Legacy Lives On Through Our Glorious Memeing
What A King
It Has Really Accelerated Since Industrial Period
Also, During The French Revolution, Spectators Could Buy Souvenirs, Read A Program Listing The Names Of The Victims, Or Even Grab A Quick Bite To Eat At A Nearby Restaurant Called “Cabaret De La Guillotine”
Neutral Swiss
Maybe Casear Was A Bad Guy
The Csx 8888 Inccident Was A Time When A Train Was Driving With No Driver And One Police Officer Legit Tried To Soot At It
Temper, Temper
History Meme
actually, it was a religious war. the bucket was stolen afterwards as a war trophy and put on display in the town hall, where it remains to this day.
Yikes
Saucy Boi
"Oh Yeah We Are Totally A Serious Company With A Bunch Of Employees!" (More Context In Comments)
It Do Be Like That
You Guys
We need more of these. We need to laugh at these things. And fast forward a few hundred years get laughed at. We're now preserving our own stupidity rather well. That is, if we don't end up blowing ourselves up...
We need more of these. We need to laugh at these things. And fast forward a few hundred years get laughed at. We're now preserving our own stupidity rather well. That is, if we don't end up blowing ourselves up...