In the rather tumultuous series of months that we called 2016, people have pointed out many strange happenings ranging from the presidential election to matters of social equality. To most people, the recent years have been full of odd and weird events, and perhaps the future will yield even more interesting results. However, despite the barrage of events hitting us all at once, we cannot forget that human history is simply full of strange occurrences, some even stranger than anything we could hope to see today. Here are three incredibly bizarre historical events.
1. Scientists make a Telephone out of a Cat
People often get excited over new technology and can tend to take it overboard. All one needs to do is consider the usage of social media by modern standards to see how quick adaption and application of technology can go awry. In 1929 Princeton scientists tried to make a working receiver out of a live cat. After removing parts of the cat’s brain and attaching the needed equipment, the Ernest Glen Wever and Charles Bray found that they could send and receive messages using the cats body as an improved telephone. The experiment is seen as rather cruel by modern standards though we must keep in mind that the early parts of the 20th century were a different time from our own; a time where apparently scientists made phones out of animals.
2. A Dutch Fleet is beaten by Horses
In 1795 during the Battle of Trexel between the armies of France and the Netherlands in one of the strangest battles in history, a regiment of cavalry successfully engaged and captured a fleet of ships. At this point in history, France was invading sections of the Netherlands and was held up in Amsterdam in the winter of 1795. The forces commanded by Jean-Charles Pichegru learned of a Dutch fleet nearby several miles from the city. The cold weather had frozen the Dutch ships that were stationed there leaving them unable to move. Pichegru ordered a regiment of cavalry under the command of General Jean-Guillaume de Winter to attack the ships. Seeing that the ice was thick enough for the horses, the cavalry charged the trapped boats and forced them to surrender without a single French or Dutch casualty. While the French forces successfully took over the ships, they were unable to do anything with them as they were still frozen. This event is the only known historical instance where cavalry was noted to have defeated ships.
3. Napoleon is Attacked by Bunnies
Several years before his defeat at Waterloo, Napoleon Bonaparte was signing a treaty to end the hostilities between the French and Russian Empires. In July of 1807 the Emperor and his associates decided to have a rabbit hunt in celebration of their success and appointed Chief of Staff Alexander Berthier to oversee the event. As the story goes, Berthier allegedly purchased several thousand domestic rabbits which were not inherently afraid of people and then unleashed the horde upon Napoleon’s hunting party. While he found it amusing at first, the herd of bunnies was apparently so thick that Napoleon’s hunting friends feared for his safety as the rabbits were not dissuaded from swarming him by the whips or shouts of the men. According to the story the bunnies forced Napoleon back to his carriage where they continued to surround him until the driver set the carriage on its way. It was claimed that the rabbits thought Napoleon was their feeder and were attacking the emperor in order to get food.
