These historical events will shock you! For this list, we’ll be going over the strangest or oddest anecdotes and figures from throughout history. Our countdown includes The Emu War, Napoleon Attacked by Rabbits, 1904’s Crazy Olympic Marathon, and more!
#10: The Emu War
(1932)
Australia has several strange historical events, but easily the most striking is the so-called “Emu War.” During the Great Depression, farmers in Western Australia were encouraged to grow wheat. Unfortunately, this attracted migrating emus. The large, flightless birds devastated the crops and became a regular nuisance. To deal with the issue, a small group of soldiers armed with automatic weapons were employed to wipe out the encroaching animals. As far as animal culls go, it’s one of the most extreme instances. During the “operation,” hundreds of emus were killed. However, the emu population endured. That’s right – humans lost a “war” – to birds.
#9: Khutulun, the Undefeated Wrestling Woman
(1260-1306)
Genghis Khan’s descendants are innumerable, and plenty of them have made their mark on the world. One of the most interesting is Khutulun. The daughter of Kaidu, Khutulun was a warrior in her own right and assisted her father in his campaigns. She had many after her hand in marriage, but she insisted that whoever married her must first defeat her in a wrestling match. Khutulun wagered horses with her would-be suitors. It’s said that although she eventually married, she was never defeated and had won thousands of horses in her lifetime.
#8: New Atlantis Founded by Hemingway’s Brother
(1964-66)
While Ernest Hemingway’s time in the Caribbean has been much documented, and was of great interest to the F.B.I., his brother Leicester also took interest in the waters south of the U.S. Leicester founded a micronation in international waters off the coast of Jamaica. He created the “country” onboard a 30-foot raft in 1964. “New Atlantis” technically only constituted half the raft, as he claimed the other half belonged to the United States. Briefly inhabited by Leicester and a few others, he hoped to fund the operation through the sale of stamps and by attracting tourists. However, the micronation sank beneath the waves a few years after its founding. He probably jinxed it by naming it after Atlantis.
#7: Anti-Comet Pills
(1910)
Halley’s Comet has been a frequent fixture of the night sky for thousands of years. However, it wasn’t until the early parts of the last century that scientists were able to observe it closely. Unfortunately, that also led to wild speculation on some astronomers’ parts, particularly after cyanogen, a toxic gas, was discovered in the tail. Panic over the comet led to con men selling things like anti-comet pills and umbrellas to protect from the “deadly gas.” Naturally, scientists even then pointed out how ludicrous that is, and Halley’s Comet passed without incident, but the snake oil salesmen of the day still made a killing.
#6: Napoleon Attacked by Rabbits
(1807)
Napoleon Bonaparte was a brilliant military commander. While his final defeat was at Waterloo, his most humiliating one was against small, long-eared bunnies. According to the story, in July 1807, Bonaparte arranged for a rabbit hunt. However, rather than wild animals, Napoleon’s chief of staff elected to round up tame rabbits – anywhere from several hundred up to 3000, so the story goes. And when the time came for the hunt to begin, instead of running away, the rabbits charged Napoleon and his men en masse, hoping for food and leaping and climbing all over them. The French emperor had to retreat to his carriage and make a hasty getaway!
