25 Mysterious Legends And Historical Events
The world is filled with strange tales. Some are based in fact, while others blur the line between history and myth. Whatever the case may be, these 25 stories continue to fascinate us. If you want a balanced dose of fact and myth, keep reading.
Fact: Napoleon’s Rabbit Army Rebellion
Napoleon Bonaparte once planned a grand rabbit hunt, but his chief of staff mistakenly gathered domesticated rabbits instead of wild ones. When released, the rabbits didn’t run away but swarmed Napoleon and his men, thinking they were food sources. The incident reportedly embarrassed the emperor, who had expected a leisurely hunt.
Conspiracy Theory: The Phantom Time Hypothesis
A controversial theory suggests that nearly 300 years of the Middle Ages never happened. The hypothesis, proposed by historian Heribert Illig, argues that the years 614-911 were fabricated to fit political narratives. Proponents claim discrepancies in calendars and missing archaeological evidence support the theory. While widely debunked, the idea sparked debates about historical record-keeping.
Fact: The Dancing Plague Of 1518
In July 1518, hundreds of people began dancing uncontrollably in Strasbourg, France. Some danced for weeks, and many collapsed from exhaustion or even died from heart attacks. While the cause remains unknown, several theories suggest mass hysteria. The dancing eventually stopped on its own but remains one of history’s most mysterious outbreaks of mass hysteria.
Myth: The War Of The Bucket
The city-states of Modena and Bologna fought a war over a stolen bucket in 1325. Known as the War of the Oaken Bucket, the conflict resulted in hundreds of deaths. Modena won the battle and retained the bucket, displaying it as a trophy. The bucket still exists today in Modena as a historical artifact.
Fact: The Great Emu War Of 1932
After WWI, Australian farmers in Western Australia faced an unexpected invasion: emus. The large flightless birds began destroying crops in the thousands, prompting the government to send soldiers armed with machine guns. Surprisingly, the emus proved resilient, and after several attempts, the government abandoned the effort, leaving the emus to thrive.
Myth: The Legend Of The Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle is a region in the North Atlantic Ocean that has been the subject of mysterious disappearances of ships and aircraft. The most famous is the disappearance of Flight 19, a squadron of five U.S. Navy bombers, in 1945. Theories about the reasons for these disappearances range from magnetic anomalies to extraterrestrial activity.
Fact: The Time A U.S. President Was Arrested
One day in 1872, Ulysses S. Grant, the sitting President of the United States, was arrested for speeding in his horse-drawn carriage. The officer, William H. West, reportedly hesitated but enforced the law anyway. The officer took President Grant to the police station and fined him $20, but he was still treated respectfully.
Legend: The Mysterious Death Of Cleopatra
The death of Cleopatra, the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, has been the subject of many theories. She is believed to have died in 30 BC, allegedly by suicide. However, some historians believe that she may have been murdered, possibly at the hands of her political rival, Octavian.
Fact: The CIA’s Failed Cat Spy Project
During the Cold War, the CIA attempted to use a surgically implanted microphone in a cat to spy on Soviet conversations. The program, called “Acoustic Kitty,” wanted to turn a cat into a mobile surveillance device. Tragically, the project ended in disaster when the cat was hit by a taxi on its first mission.
Legend: The Cadaver Synod
This is one of the strangest episodes in the history of the papacy. In 897, Pope Stephen VI put the corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, on trial. The dead pope was dressed in papal robes and propped on a throne. He was found guilty of perjury, and his corpse was thrown into the Tiber River.
Fact: The Tunguska Event of 1908
On June 30, 1908, a massive explosion flattened about 830 square miles of Siberian forest close to the Tunguska River. Witnesses reported a blinding flash and shockwaves that knocked people off their feet hundreds of miles away. The blast is believed to have been caused by an asteroid or comet, but no impact crater was found.
Fact: The Man Who Survived Two Atomic Bombs
Tsutomu Yamaguchi was visiting Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, when the city was first attacked. He suffered severe burns but later returned to his hometown of Nagasaki the next day. On August 9, the second bomb detonated. Remarkably, Tsutomu survived both blasts and lived until 2010, reaching the age of 93.
Myth: The Mysterious “Green Children Of Woolpit”
Sometime in the 12th century, two green-skinned children came to the village of Woolpit, England. They spoke an unknown language and were malnourished. Over time, the boy fell ill and passed away, while the girl grew up and married. Some historians believe the children might have been refugees from a nearby Flemish village.
Fact: The Erased Olympic Marathon Champion
During the 1904 Olympic marathon in St. Louis, American runner Fred Lorz won by riding a car for most of the race. He had initially suffered from exhaustion and decided to hitch a ride. Feeling refreshed, he ran the last few miles on foot. Lorz was declared the winner until officials discovered the deception.
Legend: The Great Fire Of Rome
The massive fire that ravaged Rome in AD 64 destroyed much of the city, and Emperor Nero is often blamed for starting it. Modern scholars debate whether Nero was responsible, suggesting that the fire could have been accidental. Regardless, Nero used the devastation as a reason to build the city according to his vision.
Fact: The Woman Who Survived The Titanic And Britannic
Violet Jessop, an Argentine-British stewardess, is the only person known to have survived both the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the destruction of the HMHS Britannic. Jessop was aboard the Titanic when it sank in 1912, and later, in 1916, she was on the HMHS Britannic, the Titanic’s sister ship, when it hit a WW1 mine.
Myth: The Trojan Horse
According to legend, the Greeks infiltrated Troy using the Trojan Horse, a giant wooden figure. The Greeks left the horse as a gift to the Trojans while hiding soldiers inside. The Trojans brought the horse into the city, but the Greek soldiers emerged at night and opened the gates for their fellows.
Fact: The Great Boston Molasses Flood
In 1919, a massive molasses tank in Boston burst, releasing a 25-foot wave of molasses that traveled at an estimated 35 miles per hour. The flood caused widespread damage, killing 21 people and injuring over 150. The disaster is often cited as an example of the lack of safety precautions during the early 20th century.
Fact: The Ghost Army Of WWII
During WWII, the U.S. Army set up a top-secret unit known as the “Ghost Army.” Its mission was to deceive and confuse the enemy with inflatable tanks, fake radio transmissions, and sound effects. Despite its success, the Ghost Army remained classified for years after the war.
Myth: The Mummy’s Curse Of The Pharaoh’s Tomb
The supposed “mummy’s curse” is a legend that began after King Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in 1922. Several individuals associated with the tomb’s discovery, including Lord Carnarvon, died under mysterious circumstances shortly afterward. The curse was believed to have been placed on anyone who disturbed the tomb of the ancient pharaoh.
Fact: The Affair Of The Diamond Necklace
In 1785, the Affair of the Diamond Necklace scandalized France and indirectly contributed to the French Revolution. The scandal involved a fraudulent attempt to acquire a very expensive diamond necklace for Queen Marie Antoinette. When the fraud was exposed, it damaged the reputation of the monarchy, inflaming public discontent.
Legend: The Mysterious “Lost Colony” Of Roanoke
The Roanoke Colony was established in 1587. When John White returned to the colony in 1590, he found it deserted with no sign of the settlers. No clue was left behind, except the word “Croatoan” carved into a post. Numerous theories have been proposed, including the possibility that the settlers were absorbed by Native American tribes.
Fact: The Discovery Of The Dead Sea Scrolls
A Bedouin shepherd found the first Dead Sea Scrolls in a cave in 1947. The scrolls, dating back to the 2nd century BCE, contain texts from the Hebrew Bible and other religious writings. Their discovery sparked more archaeological activities and provided insight into the history of Judaism and early Christianity.
Fact: The Man Who Survived Seven Lightning Strikes
Roy C. Sullivan, a park ranger in Virginia, was struck by lightning a remarkable seven times during his lifetime. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most lightning strikes survived by a single person. Despite his repeated close calls with death, Sullivan lived a long life before passing away in 1983.
Fact: The Reign Of The Mad King
King Ludwig II of Bavaria, often called the “Mad King,” ruled from 1864 until his mysterious passing in 1886. He is best remembered for his eccentric personality and for commissioning some of the most extravagant castles in Europe, including Neuschwanstein Castle. Ludwig became reclusive and was declared insane just days before his demise.
