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Weird Facts

The world’s history books teach us about famous figures, ancient civilizations and important events that have shaped our world. But there is so much more to history than just the ‘big moments’. History is full of weird and wonderful tales, bizarre events, quirky people, and strange happenings, and it is these ‘weird facts’ that bring to life our past in a way that is fun, amusing and sometimes shocking!

An AI image of Anne Boleyn, Queen of England.
7 October, 2024 - 12:30 Sylvia Barbara ...

“Lady Bergavenny”: Joanna Neville, Anne Boleyn or Eleanor Stafford? Decoding the Mystery

On 10th April 2016 the article published in the Sunday Time s and Mail Online claimed that a nineteenth-century engraving of a lost portrait of Anne Boleyn had been found on eBay by the best-selling...
History Fuzz Logo
27 September, 2024 - 12:30 ashley cowie

Podcast: History Fuzz: Episode 03: Professor Charles Stanish. Peru Pt 1. Chincha and Nazca Valley geoglyphs

In this episode of our podcast, we delve into the rich tapestry of ancient Andean societies with Charles Stanish, a prominent scholar whose career has spanned influential roles in archaeology and...
Homo heidelbergensis at the Rama 9 Museum in Bangkok, Thailand.
26 September, 2024 - 12:30 Sarah P Young

10 Mysterious Human Species Most People Don’t Know Existed

Modern humans, Homo sapiens, are now the only surviving member of the Homo genus. It is almost inconceivable to us that we walked alongside other human species, but as the science of archaeology has...
A now-extinct Dodo bird emerging from the mist.
24 September, 2024 - 12:30 micki pistorius

Finding the Extinct Dodo - Interview with Ms. Jayshree Mungur-Medhi

Interview excerpt A sparkling green emerald in a turquoise sea, crowned by an azure sky and formed by volcanic rock, Mauritius is a small independent island nation of 787 square miles in the Indian...
Viking ships in the distance.
18 September, 2024 - 12:30 alexharvey

Forgotten Vikings: D-Listers of the Viking Age

The Viking Age is a perennial subject for many, a period of about three-and-a-half centuries where the fortunes of various countries across northern Europe were forged out of fire, fury, bloodshed,...
Pythagorean cup isolated on white background.
10 September, 2024 - 12:30 Alicia McDermott

Pythagorean Cup: Turning Greedy Partygoers into Wet Blankets

The Pythagorean Cup ( also known as the Pythagoras Cup) is one of Pythagoras’s lesser-known inventions. Depending on who you speak to, this rather plain looking cup was either meant to teach people a...
Herbal incense for Slavic Witches.
4 September, 2024 - 12:30 Aleksa Vučković

The Influence of Psychedelics and Mind-Altering Substances in Ancient Rituals and Governance

Throughout history, humans have sought to transcend the ordinary boundaries of consciousness, reaching for experiences beyond the everyday. They did this through various means, including the use of...
Left; Detail of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from Mozart family portrait by Croce. Right; and AI representation of the scene in Vienna. Source: Public Domain
2 July, 2024 - 22:38 Gary Manners

Mozart's Ass Emptied a Room - And You Can Still Hear This Funny Event in History!

Picture this: Vienna, 1782. The grand ballroom is packed with 400 royals and nobles, all dressed to the nines, eagerly awaiting the next masterpiece from the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
Representational image of an ancient Roman historian. Source: Ian / Adobe Stock
20 May, 2024 - 17:52 Cecilia Bogaard

Imaginary Roman Emperors Grace the Pages of the Historia Augusta

The Historia Augusta presents a carnival of outlandish stories that have puzzled historians for centuries. But these bizarre fabrications are not limited to irrelevant details. The ancient collection...
Cleopatra’s Needle, better known as Thutmose Obelisk, in Central Park, New York. Source: John Anderson / Adobe Stock
3 May, 2024 - 14:50 Cecilia Bogaard

Few Non-visitors Are Aware of the 3,500-Year-Old Obelisk in NY's Central Park

Nestled amidst the lush greenery of Central Park lies the oldest outdoor monument in New York City: Cleopatra's Needle. The tale of how this imposing ancient Egyptian obelisk got there, as well as...
Representational image of a Capybara. Source: Henner Damke / Adobe Stock
30 April, 2024 - 14:55 Cecilia Bogaard

Cute and Cuddly Capybaras Are Related to Extinct Colossal Rodents

Native to South America's wetlands, the Capybara is celebrated as the world's largest rodent and revered for its gentle demeanor. Yet, behind its cuddly reputation lies a remarkable connection to an...
London symbols of British culture with Big Ben, a double-decker bus and Red Phone Booths. Source: Tomas Marek/ Adobe Stock
25 April, 2024 - 14:48 Cecilia Bogaard

Britain's “Britishness” is Largely an Import Story

Britain's history is a vibrant tapestry woven with threads of diverse cultures, a reality seemingly overlooked by some nationalist standpoints. Contrary to the cosmopolitan makeup of the country,...
The Opening of the New London Bridge (completed in 1831) by George Chambers. Source: Public domain
15 April, 2024 - 22:57 Cecilia Bogaard

Oddly Enough, London Bridge is Now Located in the Arizona Desert

In an unexpected twist of history, the famed London Bridge now stands proudly in the Arizona Desert. Its journey from the heart of London to the American Southwest is a testament to the bridge's...
Representative image of hands covered with Maya blue pigment. Source: Generated with Adobe Firefly
3 April, 2024 - 14:51 Cecilia Bogaard

Maya Sacrificial Victims Were Painted Blue and Tossed into a Sinkhole

In Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula lies a site which was once central to Maya sacrificial rituals—the sacred cenote of Chichen Itza. This natural sinkhole harbors secrets of human sacrifice and religious...
The reconstructed Ishtar Gate of Babylon at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Source: Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin / CC BY-SA 4.0
1 April, 2024 - 14:51 Cecilia Bogaard

Babylon's Monumental Ishtar Gate Travelled from Iraq to Germany

If you've ever stood in awe beneath the towering 14-meter (46 ft) high Ishtar Gate at Berlin’s Pergamon Museum, you might have questioned how on Earth this Babylonian marvel came to be there—6,000 km...
The Gatchina Palace Fabergé Egg. Source: CC0 1.0 Universal
31 March, 2024 - 14:59 Cecilia Bogaard

Fabergé Eggs Were Opulent Easter Gifts Created for Russian Royalty

Almost everyone has heard about Fabergé eggs, thanks to their making headlines as they fetch exorbitant prices at auction. In one case, in 2007, the famed Rothschild Clock Egg was sold by Christie’s...
Philip II banned Arabic in an attempt to quash Moorish heritage. Detail from the ceiling of the Hall of Kings at the Alhambra in Granada. Source: Rumomo / CC BY-SA 4.0
25 March, 2024 - 13:51 Cecilia Bogaard

Philip II Outlawed Arabic to Try to Erase Moorish Heritage in Spain

The reign of Philip II of Spain stands as a pivotal era marked by religious fervor. In 1566, Philip II issued a decree that reverberated across the Iberian Peninsula. This edict not only outlawed the...
Representational image of the legendary giant Amazonian snake known in folklore as Yacumama. Source: Regys / Adobe Stock
22 March, 2024 - 16:50 Cecilia Bogaard

The Legendary Yacumama is a Cryptozoologists Dream Come True

Deep within the heart of the Amazon rainforest, amidst the dense foliage and winding rivers, lies a creature of legend that has captivated the imaginations of indigenous peoples for generations...
Representational image of a Native American dance. Source: Iobard / Adobe Stock
17 March, 2024 - 21:44 Cecilia Bogaard

The Peaceful Ghost Dance Movement Was Misconstrued as a Threat

Throughout history, governments have continually feared and misrepresented peaceful resistance movements, none more tragically than the misinterpretation of the Ghost Dance Movement by the United...
Representational image of an ancient octopus. Source: Ariestia / Adobe Stock
14 March, 2024 - 00:00 Cecilia Bogaard

Before the Era of Dinosaurs, There Was a Ten-Legged Octopus

Locked away in a drawer in a museum in Canada, scientists rediscovered a fossil that rewrote the paleontological history of the octopus, revealing its earliest known ancestor. To their surprise, not...
A modern take on the vampire image. Source: All You Need AI/Adobe Stock
8 March, 2024 - 23:24 Gary Manners

The Great Vampire Epidemic: A Bizarre Chapter in History

Imagine a time when the fear of vampires wasn't just the stuff of horror movies, but a genuine epidemic that swept across Europe. Yes, you read right, - a vampire epidemic! This wasn't a small-scale...
Bowl of vichyssoise soup. Source: Michael / Adobe Stock
5 March, 2024 - 22:01 Cecilia Bogaard

Vichyssoise Is Served Cold Because King’s Taste-Test Took an Eternity

In the rich casserole of culinary history, few stories are as captivating as the legend surrounding the origin of vichyssoise soup. According to popular lore, the origin of this creamy delight is...
Caricature of Charles Cunningham Boycott, published in Vanity Fair magazine in January 1881. Source: Public domain
3 March, 2024 - 16:50 Cecilia Bogaard

Captain Boycott's Abuse of Irish Farmers Sparked the Term “Boycott”

Certain words emerge from peculiar circumstances, leaving an indelible mark on language and society. The term “boycott” is one such example, as it carries a fascinating origin story that intertwines...
Millions of postcards made a mockery of Leap Day traditions which gave women the opportunity to propose to men once every four years on the 29th February. Source: Public domain
29 February, 2024 - 13:49 Cecilia Bogaard

Women Have Proposed Marriage to Men on Leap Day for Hundreds of Years

Welcome to February 29th, the Leap day that comes around but once every four years! In the age of viral marriage proposals, the persistence of outdated traditions whereby men inevitably go down on...

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