10 Astonishing Historical Events You’d Swear Were Fiction
History is usually told as a timeline of wars, rulers, and revolutions. But sometimes, real-life events are so bizarre that they seem pulled straight from a satire or fantasy novel. Across the centuries, humans have displayed an incredible talent for doing things that make future generations raise their eyebrows in disbelief. From wars against birds to posthumous trials of decaying popes, the following ten stories are not myths or urban legends—they’re all verified by historians. Get ready for a journey through the weirdest corners of history, where reality truly is stranger than fiction.