ADVERTISEMENT

Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it, so the saying goes, so one would think our history classes would be a lot more interesting and vital. Alas, that’s rarely the case. Fortunately, the internet finds a solution to everything. 

The “Weird History” Twitter account gathers trivia, fun facts, and interesting images from the past in an attempt to make the entirety of human existence more digestible to the average person. So “scroll” through and upvote whatever surprised you and add your own historical fun facts in the comments section. 

More info: Twitter

The world is such a big place that everyday things are happening, making it almost impossible for anyone to keep track. Not to mention, humans have wild imaginations, so we constantly concoct and invent scenarios in our heads. A regular topic of discussion for history aficionados is the question of “What if?” This can really be applied to any well-known event, but it can be even more interesting to look at something less known.

For example, when the modern state of Israel was formed, Albert Einstein was offered its presidency. It’s unclear if his physics abilities would have translated to a political career in any meaningful way, but the spectacle would have been interesting. However, as you can probably already guess, he declined the offer. 

#4

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
mllechloet avatar
CT
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back to USA. In New York City, Owens was invited to a reception in his honor at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, but hotel policy prohibited him from using the front door. Jesse Owens was also denied the opportunity to visit President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House, though his white teammates were invited.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#5

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
pernillewinkel avatar
Pernille.
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They still do this in Finland,as far as I know. A Finnish panda might be able to clarify.

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

One of the better links to the past that we still observe regularly are the Olympic games. Obviously, they are quite different from the ancient games, as we include a lot more events, we don’t hold them exclusively in Greece and the participants aren’t naked. But even the modern games do change more often than we think. In the 1920s, for example, tug of war was a legitimate event where national teams competed to pull a rope. 

#8

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
larapsilva avatar
pincriske avatar
ireneygarnett avatar
Esme Love and Squalor
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So sad how quickly things changed for women there/ from miniskirts and sweater sets to burkas and not allowed to leave the house without a male escort 😢

jnjulian1983 avatar
JessieJ&LilyLovebug
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was just reading an article about how women have stopped covering their hair in public, and the government is going after businesses that allow them entry, even taxi drivers that take them as clients. More power to them and I hope they get everything they want. I'm sorry they have to fight for their basic human rights.

morg6543bellsouth_net avatar
buddbutte avatar
Sawce
Community Member
10 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

You can criticize islam and Muslims. Don’t be scared, you don’t have to twist it around

Load More Replies...
danielnilssonpeking avatar
Makabert Abylons
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And thats what the Islam religion can do, taking a country back to the dark ages. Senstive topic, downvote all you want if the truth hurts your feelings

shermes avatar
Mojavedog
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel the republicans in my country are trying to do the same thing.

Load More Replies...
bronwyn-cook3 avatar
BC
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mum (from Oz) travelled through Tehran in the 60s on the hippie trail. One of her favourite memories was sitting on a train with an old Persian man who was squirting wine into her and my Nan’s mouths from a goat skin wine cask. Awesome.

jesusortiz6 avatar
Jesus Ortiz
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Although I'm very happy that those women had so many ways to express themselves, and be free to do whatsoever they desired without much interference. We cannot forget that this only came about due to English extortion in part by the oil company BP, and the CIA putting in the Shah, as a "puppet" ruler. To allow American interests to essentially bleed the nation dry, and suck the riches out of there. Once the people had enough of America's intervention, the Islamic revolution happened. Basically, colonialism "helped" and then colonialism f****d it up.

mr-garyscott avatar
El Dee
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah yes, Iran and Afghanistan were both quite modern and friendly countries but no 'aligned' then certain foreign countries (which shall remain nameless as to not embarrass the UK and US) decided to interfere and take over. We can see how well that worked out..

jesusortiz6 avatar
Jesus Ortiz
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, the Islamic revolutions came as a a revolt against those two nameless powers that you kept secret. Crazy that people don't like it when their resources, goods, and money are stolen from right in front of their faces.

Load More Replies...
teerat avatar
Tee Rat
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

(Humans) For some odd reason we keep repeating the actions of our predecessors. Somebody always wants to be in charge, and it's usually for their own gain.

leesa_deandrea avatar
Leesa DeAndrea
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are old now. Wonder if they ever think back on those days when they were young & hopeful?

jynxee avatar
Lisa Greene
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh how the times have changed, and gone backwards for women!

kevinperry_2 avatar
okpkpkp
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My hair stylist asked me if I remembered the Shah. She is a 40ish Iranian-American. I laughed because I do. I read a magazine article about Iran. They had photos and I thought they had pretty girls there and then one day it all changed - for the worse, IMO.

miss_sammi_dee avatar
Shelley DuVal
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and look at those 3 men on the left. It's like they are ready to tell them off for what they are wearing.

barbara_skolly avatar
Barbara Skolly
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Was speaking to a woman today from Tehran. She is of Baha'i faith.... very sad to hear about her lack of rights back home, not only as a woman but also the government does not recognize the Baha'i faith therefore the believers have no rights

tamarahoryza avatar
zena bena
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tame a good look american women, another few years with republicans and they will be doing same comparison picture of you all and how it used to be.

marcoconti avatar
Mario Strada
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Check out the dudes loitering on the sidewalk and checking out the passing women. Obviously better than now, but still...

frank_4 avatar
Rostit .
Community Member
10 months ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Oh so just another click bait thread. 'cool history' or ' ifuking love history '. Whatever dumb buzzfeed Instagram site this is tiday

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
carolyngerbrands avatar
Caro Caro
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

FYI: This monument honors the legendary 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters. The black granite obelisk is a replica of a 1997 memorial that stands at Sechault in Northern France, where the 369th soldiers distinguished themselves during World War I. https://www.nycgovparks.org/

View more commentsArrow down menu

Reportedly, Britain did quite well, with its team often consisting of London City police. In the years where tug of war featured, they won two gold and one silver medals. How exactly being a police officer made you better at pulling a rope is unclear, but the results speak for themselves. These days new events are being added as the sports and activities of the world change and adapt to modern demands. 

ADVERTISEMENT
#12

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
familiedito64 avatar
Fembot
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The location is the Curia of Pompey, for those wanting to know and/or check it out on Google maps

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

While it makes sense when we think about it for a moment, often it’s easy to forget that almost everything we see and do has links to the past. Take, for example, ketchup. Originally, it was made with mushrooms and looked, tasted, and smelled a lot different from the tomato-based condiment we find everywhere today. We are all probably familiar with the concept of comfort eating, but originally, it was also used as medicine

And it’s not just simple condiments that have a lot more behind them than it would seem at first glance, the Easter Island heads are a good example. First, it’s wrong to call them just heads, these monolithic statues have bodies that extend deep into the ground. And there aren’t just a handful of them in one spot, there are, in total, 887 of them across the island. Each weighs approximately twelve tons or over 28’000 pounds, raising questions about how and why the locals decided on this particular item of decor. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Speaking of ancient statues, if you were like me, you had an obsession with ancient Egypt as a child. But have you ever noticed that many statues from that time period are missing their noses? The precise answer is unclear, as time and erosion could have specifically targeted this part. However, it could be a result of human intervention. Statues represented rulers and dynasties, if one had usurped power, which would happen often enough at the time, it would make sense to diminish the influence of your opponent. But this one may just remain a mystery, unfortunately. If you want to read more interesting historical facts, check out Bored Panda’s other articles here, here, and here

ADVERTISEMENT
#28

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
scarlet-patience avatar
Noname
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So... if Adams was busy and his dog wanted to play, did Adams say, "not today, Satan!"?

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

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
ingosauer avatar
Ingo Sauer
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Eerie how color shrinks the perceived time gap between then and now, compared to monochrome photos

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

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
professormcgonagallminerva avatar
Stardust she/her
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s known as Ram Setu and according to the Ramayana (a holy book in Hinduism), Sri Ram along with the help of Hanuman and several monkeys created it by dropping rocks on the ocean and walking across it so that they could reach Lanka and save Sita from Ravaan. (I don’t think this is true but still felt like sharing)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#32

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
david2074 avatar
David
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that cover kind of takes me back to my school days before computers/printers where you would spend extra time drawing your report cover to try to make it look nice.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#37

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

Add photo comments
POST
shuxley06 avatar
The happy frog
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In all honesty I’d be more frightened to see a large baboon chasing me then a dog, have you seen the teeth on those things? Brrrrrrr

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

Weird-History-Pictures

weird_hist Report

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

See Also on Bored Panda