10 Historical Events That Sound Fake but Actually Happened

History is full of strange and unbelievable events that sound like they fit in a story but did happen. Strange fights and strange coincidences are just a few of the things that happen that make us question what is really possible.

Tricia Quitales
March 10, 2025
4 min read

10 Historical Events That Sound Fake but Actually Happened — Pixabay on Pexels

This article goes into detail about 10 historical events that, even though they sound impossible, really happened. Some of these events are strange wars and political situations that don’t make sense. Every story is a good lesson that the truth isn’t always what it seems like.

1. The Dancing Plague of 1518

Unknown author on Wikimedia

In 1518, people in Strasbourg had an overwhelming urge to dance for days on end. Some even danced themselves to death. Authorities are confused because the outbreak went on for more than a month and affected many people. Still, historians don’t know what caused it. There are many ideas, ranging from ergot poisoning to mass panic.

2. The Great Emu War of 1932

Unknown author on Wikimedia

Australia went to war with emus in 1932 because the big birds were on farms, damaging many crops. The military used machine guns to lower the number of emus, but the birds were very smart and hard to control. The military retreated after the emus won, making this strange “war” an embarrassing part of history.

3. Napoleon Was Attacked by Bunnies

Anonymous on Wikimedia

In 1807, Napoleon Bonaparte was attacked by a bunch of rabbits, which was a surprise and kind of funny. Hundreds of rabbits were set loose for him to shoot at a shooting event, but the animals charged at him instead. Napoleon and his men had to run away because the rabbits were too strong for them.

4. Cleopatra Lived Closer in Time to the Moon Landing Than the Pyramids

Artist J. L. Jerome on Wikimedia

Famous Egyptian queen Cleopatra lived about 2,000 years after the Great Pyramid of Giza was built and just under 2,000 years before Apollo 11 landed on the moon. For most people, this means that the time she lived in is much more like our own than they think. It’s an amazing fact that makes us question how we see the order of history.

5. The “Defenestrations” of Prague

Public domain on WIkimedia

In 1618, some Catholic leaders in Prague were thrown out of a window. This was the start of the Thirty Years’ War. This event, which is called the “Defenestration of Prague,” didn’t just happen once; the city has had several in the past. The word “defenestration” comes from these exciting events, which caused much trouble.

6. The “War” of the Stray Dog

Public domain on Wikimedia

Greece and Bulgaria got into a short fight in 1925 over a stray dog. When the dog went into Bulgarian land, it was shot by Bulgarian troops. This action caused Greece to send troops, which turned into a full-on border dispute and military clash that lasted for several days and killed people on both sides.

7. The 1976 “Great Moon Hoax”

NASA on Wikimeida

A story in an American newspaper in 1976 said the moon had “disappeared” and could only be seen in a different color. People who thought it was real were confused when this strange fake spread quickly. Many people believed the story, even though it was completely made up. This shows how easily false information can spread.

8. The 1962 “Great Escape” From Alcatraz

RDNE Stock project on Pexels

Three inmates were able to get away from the notorious Alcatraz prison in San Francisco in 1962. They used homemade tools to make dummies that looked like real people and then broke out of their cells through a hole they had dug. No one knows what happened to them in the end, and their daring escape has led to many ideas about whether they made it out alive.

9. The 1919 Great Molasses Flood

BPL on Wikimedia

In 1919, a huge sugar tank blew up in Boston, sending 35-mile-per-hour waves of molasses through the streets. A lot of damage was done by the flood, which killed 21 people and hurt hundreds more. It turned out to be one of the strangest disasters in U.S. history.

10. The Shortest War in History

Unknown author on Wikimedia

There has never been a war as short as the Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896. It lasted only 38 to 45 minutes. When the British told the sultan of Zanzibar to step down, he refused. This led to the war. The palace was bombarded by British troops, which caused the enemy to quickly give up. The war ended in less than an hour.