30 Funny Memes For History Buffs That Reveal Another Side Of The Story
Funny memes that explain history more accurately than a textbook.
We think we know our history, but many aspects need to be added to our view of past events. The narrative of historical events was set so long ago, that the story is often repeated without question just as it was recorded during different times.
Society had a different mindset at that time which often influenced the way actions of the past were perceived. But with attitudes changing to reflect modern times, we can deduce things may have been a little different to what they seemed. The History Memes subreddit is home to 1.1M members sharing accurate memes that tackle history with humour. Scroll to check out some of their funniest and most insightful posts, in the gallery below.
Image source: EduardHabsburg
Dave Van Beurden: The Habsburg family tree is a wreath
Image source: RolfDasWalross
Enuya (edited): There was this curious criminal case in Germany. Woman's DNA showed up in *many* crime scenes, in wholly different parts of the country and so close in time that she wouldn't be able to travel to all of these places. Everybody was deeply disturbed, including considering paranormal activities. It turned out that one series of DNA sampling kits was contaminated by a factory worker. If you want more info, google Phantom of Heilbronn.
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
BoredHouseKitty: (edited) Indonesian here. He was a serial womanizer with countless wives and lovers. He was once married to a Japanese woman, and then not long after he married another Japanese woman. Because of that, the first Japanese woman ki11ed herself in anger and sadness. Not proud of him. Because of other things too.
Image source: Different-Soft-3124
Image source: lanzadelsol
Rahul Pawa: That is Larry Bird, he played on the Boston Celtics in the 1980's. He is regarded as one of the best basketball players of his time, and he was also a notorious trash talker and a*****e on the court.
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
Hammerfairy: It's not the monkey you have to isolate but the cruel scientist.
Image source: Mrcinemazo9nn
Image source: SamwyseG
Alexandra: Fortunately, the Armenian Genocide is being acknowledged by more and more countries. Having said that, there are still a lot of genocides that need recognition, for instance the Nanking genocide by the Japanese.
Image source: Giwargis_Sahada
Image source: blazinfastjohny
One of unit 731 many experiments was to freeze people then splash them with boiling water they figured out the best temperature for treatment.
Image source: MeQuista
XenoMurph: And conservatives pretend racism has just magically disappeared and now it's just over sensitivity and paranoia
Image source: Kafkaesque_my_a*s
Jrog: Coco Chanel also was a nazi spy. She lived with an officer for Abwehr in the occupied Ritz Hotel, and used her contacts with british and french diplomats to pass information to the German Intelligence under the codename "Westminster". In exchange, she got a few friends freed from German prisons, and was promised ownership of a perfume factory taken from a jewish fragrance manufacturer.
Image source: SilentWalrus92
Rigor Moreno: Go Alex and John! I'm sure they're happy during their lifetime. :
Image source: Some_Razzmataz
In 1953, Joseph Stalin suffered a stroke which would lead to his death. The chance of his survival were very low due to several reasons. “The Doctors Plot” had be occurring for the last two years, in which Jewish doctors in the Soviet Union were falsely accused of conspiring to kill high ranking Soviets. This led to the imprisonment and death of many of the Soviet Union’s doctors. In fact, the KGB were currently torturing Stalin’s own personal doctor. High Ranking Soviets were also very weary of calling any doctors that were left due to the fear that Stalin may accuse them of trying to usurp power or anything really and have them killed or imprisoned if he got better. Basically everyone was kinda sick of him and knew that eventually it would be them on the chopping block. When doctors were finally called, it was too late. Barely anyone dared to even enter his room. When his maid finally did, she found him face down on the floor.
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
Image source: RamsZeyy
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
Steve Robert: And some morons want to go back to that period in History.
Image source: TeachMeImWilling69
Floeckchen: Guys, 1990 was 34 years ago, not 10. Let the reality sink in and cry!
Image source: [deleted]
During much of the XVII and XVIII centuries women were not allowed to sing in choirs and opera. So in Italy boys who showed a lot of singing talent as kids were transformed into "castrati", in other words, they were castrated before puberty in order to prevent their voices to turn deeper so they could play women and characters with higher voices in opera, or be sopranos and mezzosopranos in choirs. In the process of castration many were administred near lethal doses of opium, causing many of them to die in the process.
The last of the castrati was a man called Alessandro Moreschi, who used to sang in the vatican choir. He died in the 1920s, and in fact he recorded himself singing in the early 1900s, leading to the only surviving archives of a castrati.
Image source: JustMehmed2
Image source: ChiefsHat
Image source: Some_Razzmataz
Context: The Tree of Ténéré was considered to be the most isolated tree in the world. The tree survived for around 300 years in one of the harshest environments in the world. It resided in the Sahara Desert where it was the only tree around for 250 miles. The tree overcame all odds by spreading it’s roots 100 ft below the surface in order to reach the water table that laid below. It was notable for being a well known landmark for travelers in a harsh and unforgiving environment. It also stood as a testament to the once green Sahara that later became the barren wasteland we know today.
In 1973, a drunk driver smashed into it, snapping its trunk, killing the tree. The driver became known as the man who managed to crash into the only obstacle in miles.
Image source: mehmed2theconquered
Rigor Moreno: War is hell, period.
Image source: OmegaBoi420
TotallyNOTAFox (edited): "I wouldn''t say liberated, more like under new management"
Image source: habeshasamurai
Image source: Redqueenhypo
Image source: Zallre
Image source: kyno1
Image source: Sum-Duck
Jrog (edited): For who's not a military history buff. The Texas, a m***o huge-a*s battleship, decided to join the landing and closed in to about 1.5 miles of the shore to pound the Germans with its 10 guns firing 500kg high explosive shells, happily shelling bunkers, artillery, tanks, infantry, sniper nests and nazis in the general vicinity. At some point, the close targets were all done for, and she decided to FLOOD HER STARBOARD SIDE to tilt the ship and get just slightly more elevation to f**k up some more nazi stuff that was outside her normal -but already impressive- 20 km firing range.
#1 Habsburg Moment
Image source: EduardHabsburg
Dave Van Beurden: The Habsburg family tree is a wreath
#2 Still Decoded Neanderthal Dna And Got The Nobel Prize In The End
Image source: RolfDasWalross
Enuya (edited): There was this curious criminal case in Germany. Woman's DNA showed up in *many* crime scenes, in wholly different parts of the country and so close in time that she wouldn't be able to travel to all of these places. Everybody was deeply disturbed, including considering paranormal activities. It turned out that one series of DNA sampling kits was contaminated by a factory worker. If you want more info, google Phantom of Heilbronn.
#3 Definition Of "Know Your Enemy"
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
BoredHouseKitty: (edited) Indonesian here. He was a serial womanizer with countless wives and lovers. He was once married to a Japanese woman, and then not long after he married another Japanese woman. Because of that, the first Japanese woman ki11ed herself in anger and sadness. Not proud of him. Because of other things too.
#4 Barrel Man Had The Right Ideas
Image source: Different-Soft-3124
#5 Larry Bird Was A Menace
Image source: lanzadelsol
Rahul Pawa: That is Larry Bird, he played on the Boston Celtics in the 1980's. He is regarded as one of the best basketball players of his time, and he was also a notorious trash talker and a*****e on the court.
#6 The Cruelty Humans Are Capable Of Is Frightening
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
Hammerfairy: It's not the monkey you have to isolate but the cruel scientist.
#7 Great Depression Farmers Were Based
Image source: Mrcinemazo9nn
#8 Nothing To See Here…
Image source: SamwyseG
Alexandra: Fortunately, the Armenian Genocide is being acknowledged by more and more countries. Having said that, there are still a lot of genocides that need recognition, for instance the Nanking genocide by the Japanese.
#9 Plot Armour Is Really Thick Here
Image source: Giwargis_Sahada
#10 Darker Than You Think
Image source: blazinfastjohny
One of unit 731 many experiments was to freeze people then splash them with boiling water they figured out the best temperature for treatment.
#11 Why Everybody Likes Ike
Image source: MeQuista
XenoMurph: And conservatives pretend racism has just magically disappeared and now it's just over sensitivity and paranoia
#12 I Think They Hoped Everyone Forgot About That
Image source: Kafkaesque_my_a*s
Jrog: Coco Chanel also was a nazi spy. She lived with an officer for Abwehr in the occupied Ritz Hotel, and used her contacts with british and french diplomats to pass information to the German Intelligence under the codename "Westminster". In exchange, she got a few friends freed from German prisons, and was promised ownership of a perfume factory taken from a jewish fragrance manufacturer.
#13 Historians Be Like:
Image source: SilentWalrus92
Rigor Moreno: Go Alex and John! I'm sure they're happy during their lifetime. :
#14 The Death Of Stalin
Image source: Some_Razzmataz
In 1953, Joseph Stalin suffered a stroke which would lead to his death. The chance of his survival were very low due to several reasons. “The Doctors Plot” had be occurring for the last two years, in which Jewish doctors in the Soviet Union were falsely accused of conspiring to kill high ranking Soviets. This led to the imprisonment and death of many of the Soviet Union’s doctors. In fact, the KGB were currently torturing Stalin’s own personal doctor. High Ranking Soviets were also very weary of calling any doctors that were left due to the fear that Stalin may accuse them of trying to usurp power or anything really and have them killed or imprisoned if he got better. Basically everyone was kinda sick of him and knew that eventually it would be them on the chopping block. When doctors were finally called, it was too late. Barely anyone dared to even enter his room. When his maid finally did, she found him face down on the floor.
#15 Heart Warming To See Romans Capable Of Love
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
#16 Always The Same Pattern
Image source: RamsZeyy
#17 I Feel So Bad For The Poor People
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
#18 Truly Disgusting Experiment
Image source: ReflectionSingle6681
Steve Robert: And some morons want to go back to that period in History.
#19 Aviation History Is Relative…
Image source: TeachMeImWilling69
Floeckchen: Guys, 1990 was 34 years ago, not 10. Let the reality sink in and cry!
#20 That Weird Time When Women Were Not Allowed To Take Part In Opera And Choirs So They Cut Boy's Balls For That
Image source: [deleted]
During much of the XVII and XVIII centuries women were not allowed to sing in choirs and opera. So in Italy boys who showed a lot of singing talent as kids were transformed into "castrati", in other words, they were castrated before puberty in order to prevent their voices to turn deeper so they could play women and characters with higher voices in opera, or be sopranos and mezzosopranos in choirs. In the process of castration many were administred near lethal doses of opium, causing many of them to die in the process.
The last of the castrati was a man called Alessandro Moreschi, who used to sang in the vatican choir. He died in the 1920s, and in fact he recorded himself singing in the early 1900s, leading to the only surviving archives of a castrati.
#21 It's Just Less Cool Huh
Image source: JustMehmed2
#22 It Really Doesn't Change Much
Image source: ChiefsHat
#23 It Stood For 300 Years In One Of The Harshest Environments On Earth
Image source: Some_Razzmataz
Context: The Tree of Ténéré was considered to be the most isolated tree in the world. The tree survived for around 300 years in one of the harshest environments in the world. It resided in the Sahara Desert where it was the only tree around for 250 miles. The tree overcame all odds by spreading it’s roots 100 ft below the surface in order to reach the water table that laid below. It was notable for being a well known landmark for travelers in a harsh and unforgiving environment. It also stood as a testament to the once green Sahara that later became the barren wasteland we know today.
In 1973, a drunk driver smashed into it, snapping its trunk, killing the tree. The driver became known as the man who managed to crash into the only obstacle in miles.
#24 Remember Kids, Was Never Cool
Image source: mehmed2theconquered
Rigor Moreno: War is hell, period.
#25 Here We Go Again
Image source: OmegaBoi420
TotallyNOTAFox (edited): "I wouldn''t say liberated, more like under new management"
#26 He Had To Ask
Image source: habeshasamurai
#27 Maybe, Just Maybe, There’s A Reason They Told You Not To Eat That
Image source: Redqueenhypo
#28 A Cheap And Easy Way To Boost Worker Productivity
Image source: Zallre
#29 Happens Too Often
Image source: kyno1
#30 They Ain’t Getting Away That Easy
Image source: Sum-Duck
Jrog (edited): For who's not a military history buff. The Texas, a m***o huge-a*s battleship, decided to join the landing and closed in to about 1.5 miles of the shore to pound the Germans with its 10 guns firing 500kg high explosive shells, happily shelling bunkers, artillery, tanks, infantry, sniper nests and nazis in the general vicinity. At some point, the close targets were all done for, and she decided to FLOOD HER STARBOARD SIDE to tilt the ship and get just slightly more elevation to f**k up some more nazi stuff that was outside her normal -but already impressive- 20 km firing range.DE
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