18 Historical Events That Seem Like Horror Stories
These 18 real-life historical events are so disturbing that they feel like scenes from a terrifying movie.
- Chris Graciano
- 4 min read
History isn’t just wars and politics. It’s also filled with moments so bizarre and chilling that they seem like horror fiction. The past has no shortage of stories that will make your skin crawl. This list uncovers some of the eeriest true events that prove reality can be far scarier than anything imagined.
1. The Dancing Plague of 1518
Ardian Lumi on Unsplash
In Strasbourg, hundreds of people danced uncontrollably for days, unable to stop even as exhaustion and death set in. The cause remains uncertain; some suspect mass hysteria, others blame a hallucinogenic mold.
2. The Donner Party Tragedy (1846–1847)
Dicklyon on Wikimedia Commons
A group of pioneers trapped by snow in the Sierra Nevada resorted to cannibalism to survive. Starvation and freezing temperatures turned their journey west into a nightmare.
3. The Mary Celeste Mystery (1872)
Wikimedia Commons
The merchant ship was found drifting in the Atlantic with no crew aboard, yet no signs of struggle or theft. Food, water, and cargo remained untouched.
4. The Great Molasses Flood (1919)
Badagnani on Wikimedia Commons
A massive storage tank burst in Boston, releasing a wave of sticky molasses that killed 21 people and injured 150. The syrup moved with surprising speed, trapping victims in its path.
5. The Radium Girls (1917–1926)
Kate Moore on Wikimedia Commons
Women painting watch dials with glowing radium paint were told it was safe, even encouraged to lick their brushes. Many suffered horrific health effects, including jawbones disintegrating.
6. The Dyatlov Pass Incident (1959)
Wikimedia Commons
Nine hikers in Russia’s Ural Mountains died under mysterious circumstances, some with bizarre injuries. Theories range from avalanche to military experiments to something more paranormal.
7. The Black Death (1347–1351)
Wellcome Collection on Wikimedia Commons
This bubonic plague wiped out an estimated one-third of Europe’s population. Corpses filled streets, and fear gripped entire cities.
8. The Catacombs of Paris
Shadowgate on Wikimedia Commons
Beneath Paris lie miles of tunnels filled with the bones of more than six million people. Created to solve overcrowded cemeteries, the underground ossuary feels like something from a horror film.
9. The Salem Witch Trials (1692)
Thomas Satterwhite Noble on Wikimedia Commons
In colonial Massachusetts, fear and superstition led to the execution of 20 people accused of witchcraft. Accusations spread rapidly, tearing apart the community.
10. The Night of the Radcliffe Fire (1931)
PickPik
A Christmas Eve blaze in a Pennsylvania department store killed over 40 shoppers trapped inside. Smoke and chaos filled the festive aisles. The tragedy remains one of the deadliest holiday disasters in U.S. history.
11. The Great Smog of London (1952)
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A dense, toxic fog smothered London for five days, killing thousands. Visibility dropped to near zero, and the air itself was lethal.
12. The Tsavo Man-Eaters (1898)
Bro Takes Photos on Unsplash
Two lions in Kenya killed dozens of workers building a railway bridge. They hunted people with alarming boldness, entering camps at night.
13. The Chernobyl Disaster (1986)
Michael Kötter on Flickr
A nuclear reactor explosion in the Soviet Union released deadly radiation, forcing mass evacuations. The abandoned city of Pripyat remains frozen in time.
14. The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic (1962)
Ivana Cajina on Unsplash
What began as a laughing fit at a school in Tanzania spread to hundreds of people, lasting weeks. Victims experienced seizures, crying, and fainting.
15. The Battle of Los Angeles (1942)
tonynetone on Flickr
During World War II, anti-aircraft guns fired into the night sky over Los Angeles, fearing a Japanese attack. No enemy was found, leading to speculation about mass panic or UFOs.
16. The Tunguska Event (1908)
Wikimedia Commons
A massive explosion flattened over 770 square miles of Siberian forest. No crater was found, and the cause is believed to be a meteor airburst.
17. The Massacre at El Mozote (1981)
john flanigan on Flickr
In El Salvador, soldiers killed nearly 1,000 civilians during the civil war. Survivors described scenes of unimaginable horror.
18. The Keddie Cabin Murders (1981)
Wikimedia Commons
A small-town California family and a guest were brutally murdered in a cabin, while three children were left alive. The crime scene was gruesome, and the case remains unsolved.