History is filled with epic battles, revolutionary inventions, and legendary figures — but also with events so strange, they sound like they were ripped from a comedy sketch or a science fiction movie. From animal trials to bizarre wars and government experiments gone wrong, some real events in history are so absurd that they seem impossible to believe.
Yet, they happened. And they’re as real as the pyramids.
In this blog, we take a deep dive into weird historical events that sound completely fake — but are, in fact, true.
1. The Great Emu War (1932)
In 1932, Australia went to war… against emus.
After World War I, Australian veterans were given land in Western Australia for farming. But when over 20,000 emus — large, flightless birds — began invading the farmland, eating crops and causing chaos, farmers demanded help from the government.
In response, the military sent soldiers armed with machine guns to eliminate the birds. However, the emus were fast and erratic, and the soldiers struggled to hit them. After weeks of effort, the birds outmaneuvered the humans, and the operation was deemed a failure.
The emus won.
2. The Dancing Plague of 1518
In July 1518, in Strasbourg (now France), a woman began dancing uncontrollably in the street. Within days, dozens of people joined her. They danced for hours — then days — without stopping.
Historical accounts say that many collapsed from exhaustion, and some reportedly died from strokes or heart attacks. Authorities brought in musicians hoping to “dance it out,” but that only encouraged more dancing.
Modern theories include mass hysteria, ergot poisoning (a hallucinogenic mold), or even stress-induced psychological reactions. But no one knows for sure.
3. The Cadaver Synod (897 AD)
In one of the most macabre moments in papal history, Pope Stephen VI put his dead predecessor, Pope Formosus, on trial.
Yes, you read that right.
The corpse of Formosus was exhumed, dressed in papal robes, propped up on a throne, and formally charged with various crimes. A deacon was assigned to answer on his behalf. The dead pope was found guilty, stripped of his title, and his body was thrown into the Tiber River.
This bizarre episode, known as the Cadaver Synod, remains one of the most grotesque and surreal events in religious history.
4. Bunnies Once attacked Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte — a legendary military leader — once faced a charge… from rabbits.
After a successful campaign, Napoleon’s staff organized a rabbit hunt to celebrate. They gathered hundreds (some say thousands) of rabbits. But instead of running away, the rabbits charged the hunters.
It turns out that the organizers had purchased tame, domesticated rabbits. Thinking they were being fed, the bunnies ran toward the party, overwhelming them. Napoleon had to retreat.
It was the only battle he truly lost — to a horde of hungry rabbits.
5. Operation Paul Bunyan: The Axe Murder Showdown (1976)
After two U.S. soldiers were killed with axes by North Korean troops while trimming a tree in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the U.S. launched a show of force known as Operation Paul Bunyan.
They returned to chop down the tree — this time with a convoy of trucks, helicopters, soldiers, snipers, and B-52 bombers overhead.
The tree was successfully removed without conflict, but the scale of the operation — in response to a tree-trimming incident — remains one of the most excessive flexes in military history.
6. The Time a City Was Invaded by Corpses (1348)
During the Black Plague, warfare took a grotesque turn.
When the city of Caffa (in modern-day Crimea) was under siege by Mongol forces, the invaders — already infected by the plague — began using biological warfare. They catapulted the bodies of plague victims over the city walls to infect the inhabitants.
Historians believe this may be one of the earliest recorded uses of germ warfare. It also contributed to the spread of the plague into Europe.
7. The Year Without a Summer (1816)
In 1816, the world experienced a strange and devastating phenomenon: summer failed to arrive.
Snow fell in June in New England, crops failed across Europe, and global temperatures dropped significantly. The cause? The eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia the year before — one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in history.
The volcanic ash in the atmosphere blocked sunlight, leading to food shortages, frost in summer, and famine across continents. It also inspired eerie literary works, including Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
8. When a Man Survived Being Shot in the Head — and Delivered a Speech
In 1912, while campaigning for president, Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a would-be assassin. The bullet was slowed by a folded 50-page speech and his glasses case in his breast pocket.
Amazingly, Roosevelt refused to go to the hospital. Instead, he stepped up to the podium and said:
“It takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”
He then delivered a 90-minute speech with blood soaking his shirt. Only afterward did he agree to seek medical attention.
Talk about toughness.
9. The Great Molasses Flood (1919)
In Boston, Massachusetts, a 2.3 million gallon tank of molasses exploded, releasing a sticky wave 25 feet high and moving at 35 mph. The disaster killed 21 people, injured over 150, and destroyed buildings and horses in its path.
Locals reported that the smell of molasses lingered in the streets for decades.
While it sounds like something from a cartoon, the Great Molasses Flood is a tragic and true event that is still remembered in Boston’s history.
10. The War of the Oaken Bucket (1325)
A war between the Italian cities of Modena and Bologna reportedly began over a wooden bucket.
Legend says that soldiers from Modena stole a bucket from Bologna’s central well. Outraged, Bologna declared war. A battle ensued, killing thousands.
Modena won and kept the bucket, which is still displayed in the town to this day.
While the story might be somewhat exaggerated, it highlights how absurd and petty some historical conflicts can be.
Final Thoughts
History isn’t always a dry recitation of dates and dusty documents. It’s full of ridiculous, unbelievable, and downright weird events that show us just how strange reality can be. These moments — from popes putting corpses on trial to countries losing wars against birds- remind us that truth is stranger than fiction.
They also serve as a reminder: no matter how bizarre something sounds, it might be true.