We often hear a lot of strange things that go on in the world, but stranger things have happened here, for when you look back, history itself is an endless bizarre tale. In fact, some events are so wild that you are left questioning whether they really happened!

When Reddit user Creepy-Desk-468 asked netizens, “What's something that happened in history that sounds completely fake but isn't?” folks narrated such events that will utterly baffle you. Piqued your interest, have we? Well, just scroll down to check out the astonishing events for yourself!

More info: Reddit

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#1

Julie d’Aubigny was a 17th century French lesbian opera singer who defeated several men in sword duels, stole her lover from a convent by dressing up as a nun, and publicly had several long-term relationships with women. After the death of her final and longest girlfriend she retired to a convent and died peacefully.

Image credits: Aodhana

#2

Dennis The Menace is a comic character introduced both in the UK and the USA. They débuted in the same month of the same year.

They’re completely different characters, unrelated.

Image credits: EuroSong

#3

Although now known for foods like cheese, stroopwafel, and kapsalon, in 1672, the Dutch ate their prime minister.

Image credits: teh_maxh

#4

A guy convinced three billionaires and a kid to pay him hundreds of thousands (with no refunds) to board his uncertified, experimental carbon fiber submersible, and MAYBE see a shipwreck. Then [ended] them all and himself 3.5km under the ocean surface through recklessness and ignorance.

Image credits: Absolarix

#5

The Great Emu War.

Australia literally went to war with a bunch of oversized birds in 1932… and lost.

10/10 best military victory in bird history.

Image credits: Tricky-Kangaroo-6782

#6

A bunch of Polish soldiers in WW2 adopted a bear, fed it cigarettes and beer, and had it help them carry ammunition during a battle.

Image credits: lilywinterwood

#7

The great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919.

Image credits: wanderingstorm

#8

Grasshoppers are older than both grass and the dinosaurs.

Image credits: Kaikeno

#9

The Dancing Plague of 1518 🤣 dozens of people in Strasbourg suddenly started dancing uncontrollably in the streets for days...some literally danced themselves to death!

Image credits: Bikingimbiking

#10

In 1866, during the Austro-Prussian war, Liechtenstein sent 80 soldiers to fight on the Austrian side. When the war ended, the Army returned with 81 men.

Image credits: monkeetoes82

#11

At the Battle of Karánsebes, due to a series of silly mistakes that started with some really good booze, the Austrian army mistakenly attacked itself instead of the Ottomans - who were late.


In the end, both "sides" retreated, making this, as far as I know, the only time an army fought itself and lost.


It's often listed as a battle where 0 Ottoman troops defeated 100000 Austrians.

Image credits: Gernahaun

#12

In 1967, Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt disappeared while ocean swimming off Portsea, and was never found.

He was commemorated by having a swimming pool named after him "Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Pool".

Image credits: rdubya01

#13

The Zambian Space Program

The short term goal of the Zambian space program was to send a teenage girl and two cats to the Moon. The long term goal of the was to start converting primitive Martian populations to Christianity (peacefully of course). The program was headed by a former soldier and elementary school teacher named Edward Makuka Nkoloso. Nkoloso called those who participated "Afronauts." They were going to launch their 3 meter long rocket from the middle of a stadium in the capital city, but were denied by government officials.

After the space program shut down due to lack of funding and their main Afronaut getting pregnant, Nkoloso ran for mayor, spoke out in favor of legitimizing witch doctors, and got a Law Degree at the age of 64. Shortly before his death, he won a medal from the Soviet Union for his actions during World War 2.

Image credits: Salnax

#14

Adrian Carton de Wiart - He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War.

'He was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear. He was also blinded in his left eye, survived two plane crashes, tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp, and tore off his own severely injured fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly, I had enjoyed the war." '.

Image credits: Zern_RS

#15

Sharks are older than trees.

Image credits: Ariies__

#16

Founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day-- July 4, 1826 -- the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (which Jefferson wrote).

Image credits: bflaminio

#17

A police strike in NY was cut short after only a few days when the police realised that crime dramatically dropped when they weren't on duty.

Editor's note: It was not a strike that was cut short. When the NYPD took a seven-week break from “proactive policing,” complaints about major crimes fell.
Source: LA Times

Image credits: greenwood90

#18

George Washington had to borrow money to get to his own inauguration.

Image credits: llc4269

#19

In WW1, British, French, and German troops were fighting around Christmas. On Christmas day 1914 some of the units fighting each other decided to call a truce and celebrate together.
On December 26th they went right back to war. .

Image credits: CaptainFartHole

#20

The British empire.

This tiny, soggy, grey island conquered most of the known world. Probably because the weather was so awful back home.

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Image credits: StationFar6396