ADVERTISEMENT

It could be said that even before humans appeared on this Earth, history started being written. Then, when we appeared, the craziest things started happening -- we're not an easy species for a planet to handle, to put it simply.

Throughout many years of human history, so many weird things have happened that it's nearly impossible to keep track of them all. Today, we're gonna take a look at a few of the events from history books -- some of which are pretty weird. In fact, some of them are so weird, people say they would look "too unrealistic" in a movie. So, let's jump in, shall we?

More info: Reddit

#1

Underwater view of a sunken historical shipwreck illustrating crazy but real historical events beneath the ocean. The Shakleton Endurance expedition for sure. Boat stranded on drfting ice for months, eventually crushed and sinks, crew use 3 small unprotected lifeboats to navigate to a small rocky baron outcrop in freezing winter during a gale, then a few of them take a boat and make a passage hundreds of miles across the roughest sea on the planet to make landfall on a small island on the wrong side, and need to cross a(n uncharted) mountain range on foot, with no gear or food to reach a whaling station to call for help.

And then every single crew member survives.

monochromeorc , BBC News Report

Mel in Georgia
Community Member
Premium
5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's an amazing story. This is an excellent book about it: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

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

Listened to an episode of "In our time" recently which claims that whilst Shackleton was a great leader, he was a poor planner which lead to the situation in the first place

Billo66
Community Member
Premium
4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, If you set out attempting to fail, but instead you succeed, which have you done?

Load More Replies...
The Darkest Timeline
Community Member
5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because he had his misadventures, Shackleton gets all the press while Amundsen, who planned meticulously and had his voyage go quite well, gets hardly a mention. People love drama but good leadership is often boring.

Verena
Community Member
5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That depends on the country. In the countries I spend my time in, Amundsen is well known and Shackleton not.

Load More Replies...
Marnie
Community Member
5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fools sometimes have the best luck.

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

A parable has it that when you're born, your're given two sacks: one labled "Luck", the other labled "Experience". The first is full, the second is empty. Your job in life is to fill the second sack as much as possible before the first one runs out.

Load More Replies...
AutumnGirl
Community Member
5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please don't forget the role of Chilean Pilot Pardo in the rescue of Shackleton and the Endurance's crew. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/to-mark-the-centenary-of-the-rescue-by-pardo-of-shackletons-men

Caffeinated Ape
Community Member
5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No no, they're referring to Rocky, Baron of Outcrop. Dreadful fellow, never even offered them tea. /s

Load More Replies...
View more comments
RELATED:
    #2

    Elderly man in a brown jacket sharing insights about crazy historical events that seem unreal in modern times. Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima for work when the b**b dropped. He survived, returned home to Nagasaki… and survived the second b**b too.

    LovelyAuroraa , United Nations Report

    Marky G
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've survived more than 2 b.o.o.b.s in my lifetime..that us what the censored word is yeah?

    Peeka_Mimi
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah the 2 b00bs have been attached since puberty. I survive them daily.

    Load More Replies...
    PunchinelloTX
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Explosive censoring there!

    John Dilligaf
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    hate to say it, but the guy was a jinx. Everywhere he went cities exploded.

    Manny
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh FFS BP just spell it out already. Stop with the censoring!! B O M B!

    Billo66
    Community Member
    Premium
    4 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We glance at the article, maybe even peruse it. Then we fill in the mistakes with context using our brain and just move along. It's easier that way. Don't hold up the queue, we're in Lithuania now. Elkis pats. :)

    Load More Replies...
    Billo66
    Community Member
    Premium
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We were east of Barstow when the doap started to kick in. Then the second b00b dropped. I knew then, we weren't gonna make it home.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #3

    Large tree with sprawling green branches standing alone in a grassy field under a clear blue sky, showcasing nature's beauty. The death of Henry Ziegland. Henry left his wife of 5 years which caused her to commit s*****e. Her brother decided to m****r Henry, so he snuck up on him while he was working in the barn and took a shot at him. The bullet grazed Henry’s cheek and imbedded in a tree behind the barn. Henry laid down and pretended to be dead. His wife’s brother thinking he had accomplished his goal, then shot and k****d himself. Twenty years go by, and Henry decides to chop down the tree in front of his barn because it’s too big and in the way. Henry and his brother take turns chopping at the tree, but it’s too hard and the progress is slow. Henry decides he’s going to use 3 sticks of dynamite to take the tree down. He ties them around the tree and lights the fuse. The explosion sent the bullet that had imbedded in the tree 20 years earlier straight into Henry’s head, k*****g him.

    Tangboy50000 , niko photos Report

    superfluous
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is it true or not? https://oldspirituals.com/2019/01/04/1905-hoax/

    Billo66
    Community Member
    Premium
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One time I was cleaning my car while I was broke and bored. Under the accelerator pedal I found a giant bud of very nice herb I didn't know I had dropped. Karma is real.

    John Dilligaf
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    now that's some serious Final Destination stuff

    Mike F
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    From beyond the grave... Whether or not it is real, it's a GREAT story.

    Joe Reaves
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    911 used this as inspiration for an incident in one of their episodes.

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Throughout cinematic history, humans have made a lot of movies. As of 2025, the world has recorded over 698,754 movies, with the number increasing daily. So, such a huge number is bound to have quite a few weird ones among them. 

    The question is, what is considered to be a weird movie? After all, we all have different understandings of what is weird for us and for others – essentially, it’s very subjective. Yet, this doesn’t stop people from sharing their opinions about it. Here, there’s this public list on IMDB of “The Top 100 Weirdest Movies of All Time” in no particular order. 

    #4

    Massive swirling storm system over Earth’s atmosphere, illustrating crazy but real historical weather events from space. Japan being protected from an invasion from another country by a freak typhoon. Twice.

    handsome_vulpine , Pixabay Report

    DeShotz
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The invaders were the Mongols. The storms were called the “divine wind” (kamikaze) by the Japanese. That is the source of the name for the type of attack.

    DeShotz
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It makes perverse sense. If you’re in WWII and you desperately want to manipulate and convince your people to commit acts of suícide, you can name it after something that is inspirational and evokes the notion of a powerful and supernatural historical force that successfully defended the homeland.

    Load More Replies...
    #5

    Close-up of an emu with bright orange eyes and open beak illustrating crazy but real historical events. The Great Emu War.

    In Western Australia in the 1930s, the military was called in to eradicate a large emu population that was destroying wheat crops. They failed spectacularly and had to withdraw.

    Australias military went to war with a flock of giant birds and were beaten.

    Saint_Riccardo , Jon Hunter Report

    Rick Murray
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't screw with Australian wildlife.

    Tucker Cahooter
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unfortunately the emus were too bird-brained to enforce their victory by demanding parliamentary representation

    The Darkest Timeline
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Would that work as a “come visit Australia!” ad? “Come see us down under, where even our birds will kick your äss!” Probably not.

    Caffeinated Ape
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, it's not too far fetched. Some years back the Northern Territory ran a tourism ad campaign with the tagline "See you in the NT", which was abbreviated. CU in the NT. I'm not even joking.

    Load More Replies...
    Funhog
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Of course I had to look up what a group of emus is called: a mob.

    Roxy222uk
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What I love most about this is that the emus had no idea that they were at war, and still won.

    Billo66
    Community Member
    Premium
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The only war Aussies ever lost was birds. *chuckle* Hey! Maybe the Mongolian navy could have helped. It's the tugboat on Lake Khövsgöl. LOL

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #6

    Men surveying rubble and wreckage after a disaster, illustrating crazy but real historical events with many injured. The f*****g molasses flood...people died...because of a tsunami of boiling molasses rolling down the streets.


    Sounds like the nightmare of a 5 year old with a fever.

    Old-Excuse-8173 , Dark Records Report

    Multa Nocte
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Help! The word "died" wasn't censored above! I feel faint!

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

    It wasn't boiling, it was lukewarm, which when you stop to think about it, it is worst. Molasses is so thick that people soffocated when knocked off their feet and face down in the stuff. Chronicles say that the place smelled of molasses for years.

    Gabby Ghoul
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It wasn't boiling ... and now I am trying to imagine how much energy it would take to bring 2+ million gallons of molasses to a boil.

    January Tempis
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think of it almost every time I use molasses.

    It includes titles like Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Donnie Darko, The Shining, and many others. Maybe you don’t find them particularly weird, but some others do, enough to include them in such lists. You know, to each his own. 

    At the same time, as Mark Twain said, “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” The first part of the quote is the most important for us today – truth or reality can be stranger, and usually is, stranger than fiction. 

    #7

    Snow-covered mountain peaks under a clear sky, illustrating crazy but real historical events in nature's backdrop. Hannibal crossing the alps, smashnig three Roman armies in three years including a perfect encirclement tactic that was influential in modern battle tactics, then not besieging/attacking Rome directly... Like wtf.

    UKSaint93 , Jonas Gerg Report

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

    Can you imagine the first Roman guard that actually saw that? Think of it. You are possibly a young soldier, never outside your native Rome, and all of the sudden you are seeing this huge, gray monsters with spears on their faces, charging against you.

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

    "I didn't sign up for this..."

    Load More Replies...
    Janissary35680
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "While it is true that Hannibal crossed the Alps with elephants, none of the offspring survived." 🐘 X🏔️

    Smeghead Tribble Down Under
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hannibal Barca was an absolute freakin' genius. My number one favourite and most admired historical figure.

    CP
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Battle of Cannae. Just a thing of beauty. As far as not attacking or besieging Rome, there were tons of politics at play over various cities pledging to help Rome or go against them in Italy. They were second class cities and it meant your city would be razed to the ground if Hannibal and his one army couldn't protect you. That was the key. Hannibal had one army that couldn't be beaten directly in the field, but wasn't supplied enough to besiege Rome. It is a strange situation that doesn't makes sense from a birds eye view.

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    “I'm not a monster, Clarice, I'm just ahead of the curve."

    Cindy Brick
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He crossed the Alps all right...but he lost most of his elephants doing so. And a heck of a lot of soldiers. This hasn't impressed me very much after learning that.

    Fred L.
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Meanwhile it was made into some movies.

    Pferdchen
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Seems to me that this should have mentioned the elephants that crossed the Alps with them!

    View more comments
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #8

    Steep rocky mountain surrounded by forest under cloudy sky, illustrating crazy real historical events outdoors. There was a group of 38 soldiers tasked with guarding a mountain pass during WWI. No one ever came through except for one guy who joined them. They spent the war enjoying a mountain vacation.

    I can’t remember the country, but it was a small European one.

    Edit: It was Lichtenstein and the austroprussian war. Also, 80 soldiers initially with 81 returning. Thanks to those who corrected me.

    Drake_Cloans , Julian Report

    brittany
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    hey captain we're back. oh this is Kevin. Can we keep him? we promise to feed him and water him and take him for walks every day

    Michelle C
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If anyone’s curious, this soldier in question was Italian, if I remember correctly.

    Pferdchen
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now can we talk about Switzerland repeatedly invading Lichtenstein? 😀 https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/witzerland-invaded-liechtenstein-by-mistake-x.html

    Sara Frazer
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I want to see a Wes Anderson-directed film version of this

    winterknights
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    WWI and Austro-Prussian War are some time apart...

    John Dilligaf
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    IIRC that's also the last time Lichtenstein sent an army to war.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #9

    Traditional tea ceremony setup with porcelain cups and a brass kettle pouring hot water on a wooden table, historical events. How the British stole tea from China. They had to send an agent to discover how the Chinese were making tea and steal some samples to grow in India. In 1848, the British East India Company sent Robert Fortune, a Scottish Botanist to buy samples of Chinese luxury variants. Foreigners in China were not allowed outside the Treaty Ports. Fortune, a large Scotsman disguised himself as a high ranking Mandarin and travelled undercover despite not speaking much Chinese. Think Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice (except Chinese not Japanese).

    Fortune shaved his head, plaited the hair at the back into the classic braid, and wore silk robes. When sometimes challenged about his strange accent and poor Chinese, he would tell questioners he was from up North in China.

    He did this for years, and made multiple trips.

    It should be the plot for a long forgotten racist comedy from the 1970s, but it actually happened, and he did get the samples, as well as exposing some massive fraud in the Chinese tea industry where they were treating some of teas with cyanide to make them look like the more expensive versions to sell to foreigners.

    AgeofVictoriaPodcast , MYKOLA OSMACHKO Report

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Had to google him to see if there was a portrait. That is the whitest looking man I’ve ever seen 😂

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

    And then forced India to grow it, even at the expense of food, which had predicable consequences.

    Chewie Baron
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They didn’t force India to grow it. During their internal exploration of India, they accidentally came across some tea plants. Tea was growing there already. They finally had their tea empire.

    Load More Replies...
    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Brits stole most everything that wasn’t nailed down and a lot that was. Just like almost all other colonists

    Cronecast AtTheRisingMoon
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I go through different stages of intensely studying things and at one point it was the reasons for prohibition (this is related, I swear) I will spare you all of that but the reason it is related is that the introduction of tea brought about a sort of renaissance in innovation and productivity because people stopped being mildly drunk all the time.

    Roxy222uk
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How the fūck did he get away with that?

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have no idea - Google him, he’s shockingly not-Asian looking 😅 I’m genuinely curious too

    Load More Replies...
    ANTIVICTORIA
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fecking sneaky greedy Brits. And we're supposed to take the word of a thief defaming the competition?

    You might wonder – how can that be? After all, movies can have ghosts, zombies, and other various creatures that, as far as we know, don’t exist in our world. So, how can reality be a reality weirder than that? Well, it only takes opening a history book to realize how. 

    Today, you don’t even have to open a book; opening this article was more than enough. It’s because here you will find a full-blown list of various weird historical events. And they’re not simply weird – they are so odd that many netizens say that if they were suggested as a movie plot, people would write them off as too unrealistic. 

    #10

    Bronze statue of a Roman emperor with raised arm against a clear blue sky, symbolizing crazy but real historical events. Caesar was kidnapped by pirates - and resented that the ransom asked for was too small.

    In 75 BC, the future dictator of Rome was kidnapped. He himself insisted that the pirates raise the ransom. After his release, he organized a fleet, caught them and crucified them.

    SoftcoreAddict , Clemens van Lay Report

    Joe Reaves
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    TBF he did tell them that he would do that after they released him. They rather foolishly chose not to believe him.

    Angarade
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He also recite his own poetry to the pirates while in captivity.

    #11

    Black and white portrait of a bearded man representing crazy but real historical events that seem unrealistic in movies. Rasputin. Like all of him is just so crazy that no one could take it seriously in a movie.

    SadApartment8045 , Biographics Report

    Ellinor
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ra Ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian Queen...

    CP
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One fun theory about Rasputin was that he accidentally helped the prince with his condition. Doctors were giving a child with hemophilia aspirin for pain. Wasn't very helpful. Just stopping the aspirin helped the prince get better, but no one made that connection.

    Renay T
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The closest thing to an immortal we've ever seen

    #12

    Fossilized dinosaur bones embedded in rock showcasing crazy but real historical events in paleontology. The Bone Wars between two paleontologists in the 1870s who got so competitive they started dynamiting fossil sites just to spite each other.

    DesirableDarling , Steve Wrzeszczynski Report

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

    Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Marsh. The feud was ludicrous. Apparently, it all started when Cope invited Marsh to the unveiling of the skeleton of an elasmosaurus, a marine reptile he had just discovered. Marsh pointed out, in public, that the skull of had been mistakenly placed at the tip of the tail, and Cope never forgave that.

    Without spoiling too much, we’re going to mention that this collection of historical events includes such things as The Great Emu War, stories of various historical personalities, like Joan of Arc, The Great Molasses Flood, and many other stories. Did we pique your interest? Take a look at the list and don’t forget to upvote! 

    Basically, humanity has survived through a lot of good, bad, ugly, and interesting things. Our experiences inspired a bunch of movies, from documentaries to stories that are very loosely based on something that happened.

    #13

    Green plastic toy soldiers arranged on mossy rocks illustrating crazy but real historical events realistic in movies. World War I.

    All the alliances built just feel like a series of contrivances some writer put in place to get to the conclusion of starting a war.  

    Then the actual match that lit the powder keg, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, was a series of insane incompetency and coincidences.

    In the middle of it all, one of the longest running and largest empires, Russia, collapses.

    A global war too boring?  Okay, let’s throw in a pandemic that may have been responsible for 50 million deaths in just 2 years.

    Then finish it such an unsatisfying and inconclusive way that it’s obvious you left an opening for a sequel.

    Lord_of_Allusions , Dulkimso Hakim Santoso Report

    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    History in another 200 years may well lump the late 19th Century wars, WW1, and WW2 into one war. As modern historians have done with the 30 Years War.

    Caffeinated Ape
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't forget about following up the pandemic with a mysterious sleeping sickness. I'm honestly wondering if we'll see anything similar this time, especially given long covid.

    Roxy222uk
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Great War was basically a bunch of cousins arguing over a very large estate

    Daniel Atkins
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Germany trying to get Mexico to attack the US. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimmermann_telegram

    Gabby Ghoul
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You forgot the Ottoman empire collapsed, as well.

    #14

    Black and white portrait of a man in outdoor clothing, representing crazy but real historical events in history. Since it’s Canada Day, Leo Major liberating an entire Dutch city from German occupation in one night, by himself.

    shirubakun , Government of Canada Report

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No no no, one sentence doesn’t do this justice - y’all need to hear the story. Leo Major’s liberation of Zwolle, a city in the Netherlands, is one of the most incredible solo feats of World War II. In April 1945, as the war neared its end, the Canadian army was advancing through the Netherlands, and Zwolle was still occupied by German forces. Rather than risk heavy civilian casualties in a full-scale battle, Leo Major and his friend W***y Arsenault - edit: his name was W I L L Y, ffs BP - were sent in as a two-man recon team to scout German positions before a larger attack. Tragically, W***y was killed early on, but Leo refused to retreat. Instead, he decided to liberate the city by himself. Under the cover of darkness, he launched a psychological a*****t: he moved through the city firing his weapons, throwing grenades, and creating the illusion of a much larger attacking force. (Can you imagine one man making enough of a racket to fool people into thinking it’s dozens or hundreds?) He captured groups of German soldiers BY HIMSELF, used their radios to spread disinformation, and told prisoners to warn their commanders of a massive Canadian attack underway.

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His tactics worked — by early morning, the German forces fled the city, fearing a full-scale invasion. Leo then met with the local Dutch resistance and confirmed the city was clear. When Canadian forces entered Zwolle the next day, they found it already liberated — by one man. To this day, Zwolle honors Leo Major with streets named after him and ceremonies celebrating his bravery. His actions saved countless civilian lives and became a symbol of courage, cunning, and unshakable determination.

    Load More Replies...
    Margaret Shannon
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It would be foolish to attack Canada. They know how to fight!

    Mike Crow
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Canada is one of the reasons the Geneva convention was made.

    Load More Replies...
    #15

    People inside a café at night, with a vibrant urban street scene featuring graffiti and café signage reflecting crazy historical events. The guy who assassinated Franz Ferdinand failed twice, and decided to get something to eat at a cafe when Franz Ferdinand drove right in front of him, so he pulled out his gun and took the shot.

    A_Unique_Nobody , Ian Taylor Report

    OneHappyPuppy
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His name was Gavrilo Princip. And if it wasn't for that insane coincidence - yeah, ww1 would have started another way because the wheels were already in motion, this was just a trigger to start it all

    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yep. The Brits and Germans were already on tenterhooks.

    Load More Replies...
    Angarade
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of the seven assassins try to k**l himself by jumping in a river less than 4 inches deep...

    David Jackson
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They may be true, but I believe that he first took a pill to d!3 and then jumped

    Load More Replies...
    Don Adams
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the reason he got close is that the Archduke's driver made a wrong turn and wound up in front of the Cafe.

    Still, there are more than enough events that weren’t turned into screenplays – our history is very broad. So, if you’re someone who's looking for inspiration for your next great project, maybe our list can provide it. 

    What other weird historical events would you add to this list? We’ll be waiting for your suggestions in the comments!

    #16

    Statue of Joan of Arc on horseback with flags in the background depicting crazy but real historical events. Joan of Arc. The whole story could just come out of Game of thrones.

    Dense_Clue5249 , Morgan Petroski Report

    superfluous
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ...or maybe Game of Thrones was influenced by history 🤷‍♀️?

    Jean Novotny
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Game of thrones is based on the books. And George RR Martin was influenced by many things in medieval history when writing the series.

    Load More Replies...
    Gerry Higgins
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Joan of Arc ending was better than Game of Thrones

    Jean Novotny
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    George RR Martin was influenced by many aspects of medieval history when he wrote the books that game of Thrones is based on.

    #17

    Middle-aged man in a white shirt and striped tie sitting at a desk in an office with books discussing historical events. An Australian doc named Barry Marshall was working on research in the 1980s to show that it was bacteria, not stress, that was the cause of stomach ulcers. His team’s research was rejected and unpublished.

    So Barry did what any scientist would do. He took a solution containing the H. Pylori bacteria, drank it, and waited to see what happened. 3 days later he started developing symptoms of stomach ulcers.
    More research was published, his work was now taken seriously, and he won a Nobel Prize in the early 2000s with his partner on the research project.

    Moral of the story: they say don’t be resentful of others because it’s like drinking poison and hoping the other people suffer.
    That’s usually true, but sometimes it gets you a Nobel Prize and an immediate write-up in every medical school textbook.

    TheLimoneneQueen , The University of Western Australia Report

    See Also on Bored Panda
    #18

    Sailing ship on calm sea during a dramatic sunset, evoking scenes from crazy but real historical events. In the 19th century, a Chinese p********e (today known as Zheng Yi Sao) ended up marrying a pirate. She helped her husband consolidate control of a large confederation of pirate ships.

    Eventually her husband died, so she married her adoptive son, further consolidated power and led the largest pirate force in human history: over 40,000 pirates and 400 vessels, absolutely terrorizing the Pearl River Delta (where Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Macau are located)

    The Chinese navy was so overwhelmed that they requested British and Portuguese aid.

    Zheng Yi Sao continued the fight but realized that with time, they were going to lose. She negotiated a surrender and got amnesty for herself and her crew.

    She quietly lived out the rest of her life running a gambling house.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zheng_Yi_Sao.

    nehala , Alonso Reyes Report

    Len Hill
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She was a what? A parachutist?

    zzbc6m22fq
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe we should start using euphemisms instead of asterisks. A p********e could be described as a lady of the evening, and d***s could be goofy pills? I start to h************e (1) when I see e*******d (2) words that have been a********d (3). 1) hyperventilate 2) elongated 3) asterisked.

    CPooh
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lady of negotiable affection, actually

    Load More Replies...
    ANTIVICTORIA
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm gonna guess that by pr*st*tute she was just unmarried.

    Liz U
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All this censorship makes it impossible to follow. Who is this easily offended?

    Roxy222uk
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have no idea why this has never been made into a film, because it would be perfect. Admittedly I don’t know if it’s a film or TV series within China, but surely the West can get over itself and make a film where no one’s white if the story is so rip-roaring and swash-buckling?

    cpetry
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The censorship on this site is insane. Are Gen Z TikTokers running things at Bored Panda?

    View more comments
    #19

    Bronze statues of historical figures near a tall monument under a clear blue sky, showcasing crazy real historical events. You're not getting a ton of actual answers or answers that are made up, so I'll give you a real one.

    The assassination of Kim Jong Un's older brother sounds like something out of a television show.

    They basically tricked these two young ladies into thinking they were on like a television prank show for like a year, and they went around pranking peoplein different locations. The prank was that one girl would run up and rub hand sanitizer on someone's face and then giggling run away. Then the other girl would run up and squirt perfume on their face and giggle and run away. Haha funny prank right? They were taught carefully exactly how and where to apply the products, and to run away and wash their hands immediately.

    Well little did these girls know they were training to k**l Kim Jong un's older brother. On the day of the actual m****r, it wasn't hand sanitizer and perfume anymore, it was two components of a deadly neurotoxin that once combined cause a rapid, painful death.

    So they're "pranking" people and filming their videos at the airport, and here comes Kim Jong-Nam with his family through the airport. The "producers" of the "prank show" have the girls target him. They run up on him and the first girl rubs the first half of the poison on his face, giggles and runs away. The second girl runs up squirts him with perfume but it's not perfume it's the other half of the neurotoxin, then giggles and runs away.

    He figured out something terrible was up immediately because of the pain, and approached security, but he was dead within minutes.

    The girls were caught immediately due to the extensive CCTV, but not the people directing the whole thing. They had no idea they'd just k****d someone. They thought they were gonna be TV stars.

    Of course, it's widely believed that Kim Jong Un and his sister had Jong Nam k****d because he was an embarrassment to the family as he he favored Western pop culture a bit too much.

    Edit: I have multiple details wrong (thank you for the correction u/palookaboy) but that's the gist of it. It's easy enough to look into if anyone is interested.

    i__hate__stairs , Lukas Kindl Report

    Adam Belaire
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For those curious (like me); one girl was released when the charges were dismissed (Malaysian AG had the authority but only evoked it for one), the other plead guilty to a lesser charge and only served about 2 years before being released.

    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I saw a documentary about this. Absolutely crazy!

    #20

    Black and white portrait of a man in historical military uniform, representing crazy real historical events. Lavrentiy Beria

    In the Death of Stalin, they had to downplay how evil he was because they thought the audience wouldn't believe it.

    Belkan-Federation95 , Unknown Report

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lavrentiy Beria, one of the most feared men in the Soviet Union, committed numerous horrific acts during his time as head of Stalin’s secret police (the NKVD). Here are some of the worst: 1.Mass executions and purges: Beria was a key architect of Stalin’s Great Purge, overseeing the arrest, t*****e, and e*******n of hundreds of thousands of people, including political opponents, intellectuals, military leaders, and ordinary citizens accused of being “enemies of the people.” 2.Terror and forced confessions: Under Beria, the NKVD routinely used brutal t*****e methods to extract false confessions, which were then used to justify executions or long prison sentences in the G***g. 3.G***g system expansion: Beria played a major role in expanding and managing the vast network of G***g forced labor camps, where millions of people were imprisoned, starved, overworked, and killed. 4.Ethnic cleansing and deportations: He organized mass deportations of entire ethnic groups (such as Chechens,

    #21

    Man wearing PokerStars cap and sunglasses playing poker indoors, illustrating crazy but real historical events. If you wrote a movie about the amateur poker player who won the 2003 World Series of Poker, the producers would beg you to call him *anything* but Chris Moneymaker.

    furrykef , flipchip Report

    Mel in Georgia
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would think that wearing mirrored glasses while playing poker would be a bad idea ...

    Miracle Max
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Texas Hold'em all you need to see is the corner of your cards, to see the value and suit. You don't hold your cards up in front of you!

    Load More Replies...
    Jack Handy
    Community Member
    4 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For more context, Chris Moneymaker was an amateur and won the main event despite having no tournament experience. He entered the tournament from a ticket won in an online PokerStars table.

    #22

    Portrait of a historical figure in elaborate royal attire showcasing crazy real historical events in history. Henry VIII in England. Changed the entire religion of his country so he could s**g Anne Boleyn amongst many other things that no dramatist would dare to make up.

    EmergencyAthlete9687 , Hans Holbein the Younger Report

    CP
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But religion is about God, right?

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can’t tell y'all about my sweet new s**g rug because BP believes ‘tis a dirty word

    Load More Replies...
    Hiram's Friend
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The whole church thing is a side issue. Look at the size of that codpiece!

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

    He didn't change the religion. He put himself at the head of the Catholic church, in England, and it was so he could get a divorce from his first Catherine (of Aragon). It was Martin Luther who "invented" Protestantism which was taken up by the likes of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I and Edward VI. It didn't really become the official religion permanently until the Act of Settlement in 1701 enshrined the Protestant succession.

    Crissy Newbury
    Community Member
    Premium
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No he did not! He declared himself the head of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND. He proclaimed the dissolution of the Catholic monestries to rid himself and England of Catholicism.

    Load More Replies...
    #23

    Battle of Antietam scene depicting soldiers and chaos during a crazy but real historical event in war. In the American Civil War, the pivotal battle, the Battle of Antietam, may never have happened except for a careless officer and some cigars. General Lee wrote out an order detailing the planned movements of the conferederate army during Lee's Maryland Campaign. One particular set of orders got wrapped up with a bundle of cigars for safekeeping. That bundle of cigars then got lost (nobody is quite sure how), and later on a union soldier, when walking through the field where they were misplaced, saw a bundle of cigars and said "hey, free cigars!". He found a note wrapped up with them, and showed it to his commanding officer, who passed it up the chain, and let the union army know exactly where to go to catch the confederates.

    If you put it in a movie, people would complain about it being a crappy deus ex machina.

    ursois , Thure de Thulstrup Report

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

    What about John Sedgewick's last words? "They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance", refering to the rebels shooting at them. Just to be hit at that distance seconds later.

    CP
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is an alternate history series by Harry Turtledove called Timeline 191. Pretty fun read.

    #24

    American flag waving on a clear day representing iconic symbols in crazy but real historical events The events described in the Star Spangled Banner. Basically, the Brits were defeated on land, then tried to sail around to attack Baltimore from a different side. However, there was a fort in the way.

    The Brits, not really caring about Baltimore anyway, tried to destroy the fort for 27 hours using long range weapons rather than risk sailing up to fort and actually attacking it and risk losing a ship.

    The Brits used 2 weapon types: Congreve Rockets, which were developed by Congreve (whose father happened to be the British's weapon procurer and whose technology lacked spin stabilization or fins). Not surprisingly, the weapon was not successful and lacked range to hit the fort or set its earthen walls on fire. It was essentially a firework at that long range range, filling the air with red burst of flames.

    The other weapon, a b**b mortar, was a huge explosive shell launched from massive mortars. However they tended to not go where they were aimed and the fuses, which kept the thing from exploding when fired, tended to fizzle out. One b**b landed right on the fort's powder store but the fuse failed. Feels like Plot Armor.

    Despite nearly 2,000 projectiles being fired at the fort, barely any men were k****d and the next morning the Fort just went about its daily business.

    It was a bizarre battle with the Brits trying an untested strategy (because they lacked real motivation to win and didn't want to lose more than they wanted to win). The Americans won by just sitting there, unable to fight back.

    And the description of that bizarre battle became the American National Anthem, thanks to a Congressman representing Baltimore pushing for it.

    And the tune of the National Anthem is... British.

    DoomGoober , Chris Kofoed Report

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

    The tune is not only British, but from an old English drinking song called "Anacreon in Heaven." To be fair, it was an standard practice of the time to use popular songs to fix patriotic lyrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ileDXkSTse8

    Wild Cream
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s honestly kind of hilarious 😂 that’s what “the bombs bursting in air” means? PS happy 4th of July to the American pandas out there, hope you’re all hanging in there ❤️

    Lupita Nyong'heaux
    Community Member
    5 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    notice they never sing the whole song, especially the the third verse. francis scott key was a racist and a slave owner. his whole "land of the free and home of the brave" shtick never included nonwhites, especially not black people. ... "And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion A home and a Country should leave us no more? Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave, And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

    #25

    Close-up of a historical string instrument highlighting craftsmanship in crazy but real historical events. That dude that scared off an enemy army by sitting in front of the fort and playing a lute.

    PumpJack_McGee , Talie79 Report

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

    Pfft, that’s nothing. In WWI, the Germans were scared of the Scots. Not just from hearing them play the bagpipes, but watching g them play them, in kilts, whilst the Allies were charging the German lines. The Germans thought the Scots were lunatics and didn’t shoot them in case they really annoyed them.