Things In History That Seem Fake But Are Actually Real

There have been many events in history that seem to belong more in movies than in reality.

Barbaric ancient cultures, unknown kings, strange accidents, and discoveries that seem to have sprung out of fiction; all of these things leave historians scratching their heads.

Most of them have been turned into legends by the Internet, but the events we will talk about here are confirmed by the history books and by our knowledge of the past. Let’s take a look at ten historical events that broke the laws of reality.

1. A War Lasted Only 38 Minutes

This odd event was the Anglo-Zanzibar War that happened in the year 1896. This is thought to be the shortest war in the history of mankind.

There was a succession dispute over the Sultanate of Zanzibar; British forces demanded that the new ruler step down. As a result, Great Britain decided that a new ruler needed to come to power.

When the Sultan refused to step down, the British ships fired at his palace. The war lasted from thirty-eight to forty-five minutes, depending on the source. The sultan fled, and the new ruler was appointed. Still, this remains one of the shortest wars in known history.

2. A Volcano Once Cooled The Entire Planet

In 1815, Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted violently, releasing vast quantities of ash and sulfur into the atmosphere. As a result, the next year was dubbed “The Year Without a Summer.”

Snow fell in June in parts of America, and crops in Europe failed, resulting in food shortages for millions of people around the globe.

The strange weather led to works of literature, such as Frankenstein. This also drew fascination with volcanoes for many people.

3. An Emperor Was Once Put On Trial After Death

One of the most unusual court cases in history was when Pope Stephen VI required the corpse of the previous Pope Formosus to appear in court in the year 897.

The corpse was dressed as it should be according to the church traditions and put on trial. The court found him guilty. His previous decisions were invalidated.

This shocked many people, and thankfully, later popes reversed the trial’s outcomes.

4. Napoleon Was Once Attacked By Rabbits

After signing the Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte unexpectedly became the target of some rabbits during the rabbit hunt in his honor.

Fans of this story believe that these thousands of rabbits that were released did not run away from humans but charged toward Napoleon and his guests.

Napoleon and his party retreated with determined rabbits all around them, reports say. It is still one of the funniest true stories of the famous military leader, and a strange occurrence.

5. A Woman Survived Falling From Over 33,000 Feet

In 1972, Vesna Vulović, a flight attendant, survived when an airliner exploded over Czechoslovakia. She fell from over 33,000 feet, still trapped inside some wreckage of the plane.

She was severely injured and recovered later. Her miraculous survival is recognized as the longest fall ever survived without a parachute by a human.

The doctors credited numerous factors for her survival, like terrain and the way the wreckage hit the ground.

6. The Great Molasses Flood Was Real

In 1919, a large storage tank in Boston broke down suddenly, releasing over two million gallons of molasses all over the streets. The thick wave was fast and could destroy buildings and overturn cars, and there were many casualties.

The recovery from the sticky disaster took weeks, and the citizens claimed that Boston smelled of molasses for many years afterwards.

Although it looks like a comedy plot, the Great Molasses Flood was one of the weirdest industrial accidents in American history.

7. Australia Once Went To War With Emus

In 1932, there were many emus causing damage to Australian farmers. In response, the government sent troops with machine guns to reduce the emu population.

Despite the military’s assistance, the fast-moving creatures were extremely hard to control, and the mission was considered a failure in the end.

This episode has been labeled as the “Emu War,” though it was nothing like a traditional war. Today, it is one of the most entertaining stories in the history of government operations.

8. Ancient Romans Used Concrete That Became Stronger Over Time

Many Roman structures survived for about two thousand years due to the amazing concrete.

Modern science indicates that the special mixture of ingredients allowed for the small cracks in concrete to heal in the presence of water, which allowed the concrete to resist deterioration.

Some ancient Roman concrete constructions are getting más fuerte due to chemical reactions with seawater. Today, researchers continue to study this ancient feat of engineering in hopes of developing stronger, more sustainable construction materials.

9. The Dancing Plague Made Hundreds Dance For Days

In 1518, the people in Strasbourg experienced something that would now be called the Dancing Plague.

One woman began dancing in the street, and very soon hundreds of people were dancing with her.

Some dancers did not stop for several days and collapsed from agotamiento. Historians are still debating what caused this event, suggesting that there are both psychological and environmental factors behind it.

10. The CIA Tried to Use Cats for Espionage

During the Cold War, the CIA tried to spy with the help of cats in the experiment known as “Acoustic Kitty.”

The purpose of the experiment was to put listening devices in the cat’s body so that it could get closer to foreign officials.

Despite many resources spent on the project, it was clear that there was no way for them to control the animal in real life.

11. Two Rival Nations Accidentally Fought Over A Bucket

One of history’s most bizarre wars began with something unexpectedly simple. In the year 1325, the city-states of Bologna and Modena participated in what is called the War of the Bucket.

The story goes that Modena’s soldiers took a wooden bucket from a well in Bologna after winning the war; it is said to represent the rivalry of the two cities.

Though the story involves political tensions that go beyond the bucket, the story has lasted for centuries. Today, the wooden bucket is still on display in Modena, serving as a reminder that even insignificant things have had historically significant events attached to them.