- The headless chicken story is definitely a weird history story!
These weird history stories may not be well known but they are a little shocking. Do you know these strange stories from the past?
We Wanted To Nuke The Moon
Yes us, Americans, crazy as it may sound, considered sending a nuclear missile towards the moon. Since WWII we have been in a nuclear arms race with the Soviets and since they got a leg up with the launch of Sputnik to the moon, Americans wanted to nuke the moon therefore creating a mushroom cloud so large it would be visible from Earth, or what we thought would be the ultimate display of one-upping the other country. The project ended in being canned, in favor of moon landings. Do you think this belongs on the list of weird history stories? What would nuking the moon even do? Probably nothing good, I’m thinking.
The Bear Named Wojtek
When it comes to animals in combat, bears aren’t the first creatures you’d think of. But there was a Syrian brown bear adopted as a cub by some Polish Soldiers during WWII that kind of breaks that mold. The bear named Wojtek grew up within the 22nd Artillery Supply Company and became close with the soldiers, even sharing things like beer and cigarettes. The bear allegedly helped carry ammunition crates to the soldiers on the frontline of the Battle of Monte Cassino in May of 1944 in Italy. Wojtek survived the war and will spend the rest of his time in the Edinburgh Zoo.
How Henry The First Died
Did you know that King Henry I loved to eat lampreys? Did you also know this is how he died? These fish are jawless and eel-like and not tasty or something that should be eaten in large amounts. But King Henry I loved to eat it and after a huge night of feasting, he died. The thought is a toxin from the eel-like fish made him sick and that he died a painful death a few days after eating lampreys. This is one of the most strange of the weird history stories!
The Headless Chicken
Yes, you read that right, and his name was Mike, Mike the Headless Chicken. It happened back in 1945 when a farmer was “taking out” his chickens and he cut Mike’s head off. However, Mike survived the beheading and ran around on the far without a head for the next two years. His owner soon left the farm with Mike, showcasing him on the road as the walking, breathing, headless chicken, for a fee of course. Ultimately, a chicken’s brain is towards the back of its head and somehow, while the farmer managed to chop off most of Mike’s head he missed most of his brain and a blood clot at the spot left Mike alive and not bleeding to death. Does this surprise you as one of the weird history stories?
The Execution of Oliver Cromwell
Known as Lord Protector of England, Cromwell died of complications of malaria and kidney stone disease. Charles II returned to England after Cromwell died to restore the Stuart monarchy in 1660, but he had a serious chip on his shoulder when it came to Cromwell along with any others who’d had a hand in the execution of his father. Charles even put together a kill list that had Cromwell’s name on it but because he was already dead, Charles wanted to have him exhumed and posthumously executed. Cromwell’s head stayed on a spike in Westminster hall for 30 years and spent about 250 years being bought and sold by collectors until finally being buried at Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge in 1960.
Did you recognize any of these weird history stories? Let me know what you thought about them in the comments!