4 of the Most Bizarre Events in History that Prove Life Is Just Plain Weird
History has no shortage of dramatic events, but every now and then, something happens that’s so strange, it feels like the universe itself might be trolling us. Here's a look at some of these bizarre events.
1. The Great Emu War (1932)
Apparently, Australia declared war on birds in the early 1930s when Australia was dealing with a massive emu infestation. The emus, which had migrated inland after breeding season, were ravaging crops, causing havoc for farmers already struggling through the Great Depression. The government’s solution? Send soldiers with machine guns to wage war on the emus.
And guess what. The emus won. The soldiers, led by Major G.P.W. Meredith, quickly found that the emus were surprisingly hard to kill. Despite firing thousands of rounds, the birds kept outsmarting the soldiers, splitting up into small groups and scattering to evade capture. After multiple attempts, the military retreated, admitting defeat. The emus had successfully outwitted humans in what became known as the Great Emu War.
2. The Exploding Whale (1970)
In 1970, a 45-foot, eight-ton whale washed up on the shores of Florence, Oregon. City officials were unsure how to dispose of the enormous, decomposing whale, so they consulted with "experts" and came up with the perfect plan: blow it up with dynamite.
However, this did not go well. The explosion sent huge chunks of whale blubber flying in every direction, covering spectators and cars parked a quarter-mile away. Some of the pieces were so large, they caused significant damage to property. Rather than solving the problem, the explosion created an even bigger mess, and the remaining whale bits had to be cleaned up the old-fashioned way.
3. The Dancing Plague of 1518
In July 1518, a woman in Strasbourg (then part of the Holy Roman Empire) suddenly started dancing in the streets, seemingly unable to stop. Over the next few days, more people joined her, and soon dozens of people were dancing uncontrollably, day and night. City authorities were baffled and, in an attempt to cure the "dancing plague," hired musicians to keep the dancers going, thinking they would eventually exhaust themselves.
The dancing continued for over a month, with hundreds of people afflicted. Many dancers collapsed from exhaustion, and some may have even died of heart attacks or strokes. Historians believe the "dancing plague" may have been caused by mass hysteria or ergot poisoning (a hallucinogenic mold found in bread), but to this day, no one knows for sure.
4. The London Beer Flood (1814)
In October 1814, at the Meux & Co. Brewery in London, a huge vat containing over 135,000 gallons of beer burst, causing other vats in the brewery to burst open as well. A tidal wave of beer swept through the surrounding streets, destroying houses and flooding basements. Several people drowned in the torrent of ale, and others were injured in the chaos.
While the idea of a beer flood might sound like a dream come true to some, the reality was tragic. Eight people died as a result of the flood, but the event became infamous for its sheer absurdity. The brewery was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, as the flood was deemed an “Act of God”.
