- Do you know about the rabbits?
Have you read 7 Hilarious True Stories From History: Part One? Because this is part two.
The War That Lasted Less Than an Hour
The Anglo-Zanzibar War of 1896 lasted approximately 38–45 minutes. British forces bombarded the Sultan’s palace, and the conflict was essentially finished almost immediately. It remains one of history’s best examples of a war ending before anyone had time to properly settle in.
Napoleon and the Rabbits
Napoleon reportedly once went rabbit hunting with a large group of men. The rabbits released for the hunt didn’t 
behave as expected. Instead of fleeing, they charged toward Napoleon and his hunting party. The rabbits apparently thought the humans were bringing food. Did you know about this as one of the hilarious true stories?
Ancient Roman Restaurant Reviews
Pompeii contains graffiti showing that ancient Romans complained about food, insulted people, advertised businesses, declared their love, and wrote political messages. Humans apparently invented writing and immediately used walls for petty arguments.
The Man Who Tried to Steal the Crown Jewels
In 1671, Thomas Blood disguised himself as a clergyman and managed to gain access to the Tower of London. He actually stole the Crown Jewels before being caught. Instead of executing him, King Charles II surprisingly pardoned him. Blood somehow went from attempted royal robbery to receiving royal favor.
The Bucket That Became a War Trophy
During a conflict between Bologna and Modena, a wooden bucket supposedly stolen by Modenese soldiers became famous as a symbol of the rivalry. The actual causes of the war were much more serious, but the “War of the Bucket” gave history one of its funniest names. Did you know about this as one of the hilarious true stories?
The Man Who Was Elected President Because Nobody Expected It
American politics has repeatedly produced elections where supposedly unbeatable candidates lost because voters behaved unpredictably. One particularly famous example was Harry Truman’s 1948 victory. Newspapers were so confident Thomas Dewey had won that the Chicago Daily Tribune printed the infamous headline “Dewey Defeats Truman” before the final result was known.
The Man Who Accidentally Became Pope for a Few Days
During medieval papal politics, rival factions sometimes elected competing popes, resulting in confusing situations where determining who was actually pope became extremely complicated. At various points, Europe effectively had multiple men claiming the same job.
History’s Most Reliable Joke: Humans Never Change
Ancient Romans complained that young people were lazy. Medieval writers complained about other people’s stupidity. Victorian newspapers complained about modern society. Politicians complained about everyone else. Thousands of years later, we’re still doing exactly the same thing.
Did you know all of these true stories? Tell us your favorites in the comments!