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The past is more than just tragic events like wars, catastrophes, pandemics, and rebellions. It is also full of paradoxes, blunders, and bizarreness, making it more entertaining than we could probably ever imagine. But because our brain prioritizes negative experiences, we tend to forget just how quirky and sometimes illogical human species can be. 

Luckily, the creators behind the “Historymemeshq” Instagram account haven’t. They share historical moments and craft them into memes by putting a humorous spin on them. Scroll down to brush up on your knowledge of the past and don’t forget to upvote the posts that cracked you up the most.

While you’re at it, make sure to check out a conversation with American history writer and author of Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund, Arnie Bernstein, and high school history teacher and social media personality Jaclyn Richie, who kindly agreed to talk with us about funny historical events and memes.

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    “I think history can absolutely be light and humorous at times!” says high school history teacher and social media personality Jaclyn Richie.

    “There are so many instances where, in hindsight, we can see that people may have overreacted or blown situations way out of proportion. I love the famous saying, "If you can’t laugh at yourself..." One of my favorite examples to teach is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The original attempt was a chaotic series of failures, almost like a comedy of errors,” she explains.

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    American history writer and author of Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund, Arnie Bernstein, also agrees that comedy and drama are threaded throughout the eons, going back to when we were just “slime crawling out of the swamps.” 

    However, he notes that the funny factor may depend on the individual's sense of humor. “One person’s “That’s hysterical!” Is another person’s “That is so not funny!” I’m sure some people of Russia’s upper crust laughed like crazy at Czarina Catherine the Great’s antics. Others, like the serfs, not so much.”

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    HI, I'M A SHOUTY MAN
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yeah, I think Harriet died in 2006? the old mates still bring her up every now and then...

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    A lot of comedy doesn’t age well, Bernstein adds. “What might have been funny for its time in history is now akin to the stale of-their-time cultural jokes of South Park or Family Guy. For example, humor at the expense of someone for their race, religion, or gender was a big laugh-getter for a lot of eras and in just about every strata of human existence. That doesn’t play well with modern sensibilities,” he says.

    Another example he provides is the now obsolete court of jesters. “From Ancient Rome through the English Restoration period, people with intellectual or physical disabilities provided royal big shots with loads of laughs. High comedy then. Not so funny now. History also has a way of roughing out the edges of unsavory characters. Roman Emperor Caligula gave his horse a job as Roman Counsel, most likely as a joke. Funny stuff. But he also had incestuous relationships with his sisters. That’s an “ick” factor that drains all the humor from the horse lawyer story.”

    “It’s a given that so many great comic moments throughout history went unrecorded. Pity,” he adds.

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    Dumb teenager
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rural Australia: you drive for four hours to catch up with your next door neighbors

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    Verena
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These existed before WWII. Nazis hated these. Google "entartete Kunst".

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    When it comes to combining history with memes, Richie believes that it can be a fantastic way to lighten up history and make it more accessible. “They bring historical events into relatable contexts and can engage people who might not otherwise have much interest in history. They offer a fun entry point to more complex stories.”

    Bernstein sees it as a double-edged sword. “Again, it depends on your sense of humor. There are universal memes that land the jokes every time, like the one with Abraham Lincoln that reads: 'The problem with quotes on the Internet is that you cannot always depend on their accuracy.’”

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    Nea
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In school I hated history. In college I had history as a subsidiary subject and fell in love with it. Depends on teacher so much.

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    Gandalf the Pink
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sisyphus beat the system; the elevator goes up, then down again, the punishment is still being done, but he's sitting somewhere with a sun hat and a piña colada

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    That said, he believes there can also be a danger of historical misinterpretation. “Does the meme have some sort of agenda? Could it be misinterpreted—and deliberately so? Is it cruel, is it dishonest, does it have a political intent that can tamper with civil discourse? Are people taking these distortions or outright lies as historical truth?

    If it’s parody, I get it. I love a good historical parody. But with memes not everyone always gets the joke or the intention of the joke. This can lead to dire consequences, particularly when so many people get their information from TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and so on, where these memes rule the day,” warns Bernstein.

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    rullyman
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Too bad that Duolingo is a terrible, inefficient way to learn a language. I'm learning Japanese and their course is terrible. You can spend 100s of hours on it and still not learn basic sentence structure. Better to read Tae Kim's Grammar Guide, watching comprehensible input videos on YouTube, use Anki decks, and read Maggie Sensei blog. All free resources which will take you much further, much faster

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    rullyman
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Everyone likes a day off and a party. You're welcome! (J/K, sorry for the atrocities of my ancestors)

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    We were also curious to know what the most unserious event in history that these experts can recall is. For Richie, it’s the Anti-Moustache Movement of the 1910s.

    “In a public health effort, campaigns promoted clean-shaven faces because mustaches were believed to trap germs. Men were actually encouraged to shave, and the movement was so serious that barbers reported a spike in men coming in to get rid of their "unsanitary" mustaches. It’s such a funny example of how even small social pushes can take off and shape cultural trends, even if based on unproven ideas.”

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    rullyman
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Old school slow travel doesn't involve being shoved in a tube and sitting in the same position for hours. You can enjoy the scenery and the culture and food of the places you transit. It must have been mind blowing to leave England and travel all the way to Jerusalem.

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    Alex
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Really funny. But please tell me what this explains about history "In A Way That Books Probably Never Will"

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    What left quite an impression in Bernstein’s mind was the Chicago Seven Trial. “What a cast of characters!,” he says.

    “Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, their co-defendants, and a defense witness lineup that included Norman Mailer, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, and Paul Krassner, who was tripping on LSD when giving his testimony (Abbie Hoffman was furious with Krassner over that move). There was a high-wire give-and-take between Abbie Hoffman and Judge Julius Hoffman. Judge Hoffman was a humorless, no-nonsense guy who demanded decorum in his courtroom, whereas Abbie was king of the Yippie pranksters,” he recounts.

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    The Scout
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, actually their navy consisted of seven people and ONE ship. It was merely a reminder of the times when Mongolia actually had a big fleet under Genghis Khan and his Successor. The "Sukhbaatar III" was stationed in the only lake big enough to hold a ship, and it was merely ceremonial. After the ship was sold in 1997, the Mongolian Navy was officially disbanded.

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    He continues by saying, “My favorite part was when Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley took the stand for the prosecution. Daley was pissed with the Yippies for just about everything that went wrong during the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention. Before Daley could speak, Abbie waved his arms wildly, faked a wrestling pose, and shouted, “Let’s settle right here, you and me!” Even Daley laughed. Judge Hoffman and the prosecutors wanted courtroom propriety. Abbie and the boys turned the whole trial into a Marx Brothers movie.”

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    Libstak
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And the president in charge of that last 4 years is also predictable....

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    On the other hand, both experts agree that the Holocaust and all its horror is a monumental historical event that should never be forgotten. Richie also mentions the Civil Rights Movement.

    “The Holocaust is a reminder of the dangers of hate, prejudice, and unchecked power. The Civil Rights Movement, meanwhile, showed the world the power of collective action in the fight for equality and justice. Both serve as powerful lessons in the need for compassion, vigilance, and courage,” she says.

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    martin734
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If god really existed I don't think he would actually give a flying fu*k about people's sexuality.

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    Nitka Tsar
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fun fact: it‘s not a name a German parent would choose for their kid. Even in Bavaria, where that kid is supposed to be from.

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    OldPandaOfficial
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    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not to mention India 😂 They had drainage systems and well-planned towns already

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    BeesEelsAndPups
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rosa Parks being considered part of some ancient history is making feel very old. I met her twice. Both times at monument commemorations, in DC and Atlanta.

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    LaserBrain
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    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    On japanese car navi it shows with an orange leaf where the fall colours (紅葉) are their brightest.

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    Justanotherpanda
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    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They cut out the intestines and fed them to the stray dogs, only one eyewitness says he saw humans eat them, but he was probably drunk. It was a horrific scene nonetheless though.

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    #53

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    American history be like...

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    Jay Cee
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Spanish history - the fight against fascism started in 1936. Chinese history - the fight against imperial domination started in 1931. Soviet history - the Great Patriotic War started in JUNE 1941

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    Sue User
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I do like how they have clear panels that fill in the missing bits so you can see what it used to look like.

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    UKGrandad
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    'We' did it? The USSR self-destructed. The West was as surprised as Moscow.

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    Stimpy
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    hmm, looks like the invasion plan was "attack Canada from the south"...devious!

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    Donkey boi
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In 1939 England, 14 year olds were lying about their age to try and join the war.

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    #66

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    The 5 stages of admitting atrocities.

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    Lost Panda
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My wife (Japanese born and raised) was never taught of Nan King or anything of the sort, but will constantly talk about how bad the US was for using the bombs. While yes, the bombs were devastating I still can't wrap my head around the logic...

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    Tiger
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lmao as a Canadian, I was taught Parisian French in school. For some reason. Even though Quebecois French is slightly different and would make more sense to learn, being Canadian and all. I had a coworker from Quebec once and he told me Parisians think Quebecois sound like “hillbillies” - I have no idea if that’s true but I thought it was interesting 😅

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    ConstantlyJon
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    literally me. paying $25 a month for sometimes going and using the massage chairs.

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    David Paterson
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's been said that the reason Australia is drawn so poorly on Portuguese (and French) maps is to deliberately hide the fact that the Eastern half of Australia crosses the boundary into Spanish territory.

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    #73

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    historymemeshq , Pete_Martuneac Report

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    Jay Cee
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If Twitter had been invented in 1941L the US - it was a SUNDAY we were watching the World Series!

    #76

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    Francois
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    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be fair, Japan was already losing the war after the battle of Midway.

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