The Secret Events in History Schools Never Taught You

Explore interesting secret events in history that were not taught in schools. From unknown wars to unknown inventions, discover the untold history.

The Secret Events in History Schools Never Taught You

When you learned history at school, the classes followed a conventional rhythm — major wars, famous leaders, important discoveries, etc. However, in the background, there are many untold events that shaped the world that you probably never learned about due to the brevity of time in history lessons.

Some of these untold tales were eclipsed by larger events, others were purposely excluded, and a portion of the accounts are simply forgotten. This article will illustrate secret events in history that will forever change your perception of the past.

1. The Great Emu War (1932)

In 1932, Australia was under attack by an unusual enemy — emus. After World War I, soldiers in Australia were given land to farm. When emus migrated into these farmland districts, they completely ravaged agricultural crops and decimated wheat crops at alarming rates.

The government got involved and called on soldiers — equipped with machine guns — to control the emu population. Unfortunately, emus proved to be too fast and evasive, and the soldiers could not salvage any of the crops. The emu came out as the victor of the war, with the Australian Government now developing fences around rural farmlands.

Why it's not taught: Because it's an amusing yet embarrassing military failure, that does not fit with the "heroic" narrative of war.

2. The Dancing Plague of 1518

In July 1518, residents of Strasbourg - which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire - began to dance uncontrollably in the streets. One lady started, then a few dozen followed her lead. They danced for days, some until they collapsed from exhaustion, even until they died from exhaustion.

Historians still argue over what caused the dancing - a mass hysteria, ergot poisoning from moldy bread, or a curious cultural phenomenon.

Why it's not taught: It messes with what we understand today to be health, psychology, and the behavior and make up of community, that it is hard to explain to constituents in a traditional history lesson.

3. The Forgotten African Samurai - Yasuke

In the late 1500s, a man named Yasuke from Africa arrived in Japan with a Jesuit missionary. The warlord, Oda Nobunaga was taken aback by Yasuke and invited him to work for him.

Yasuke became the first and only known foreign samurai in Japan who served Nobunaga directly. The existence of Yasuke disproves the common belief that Japan has always been historically isolated from the outside world.

Why it’s not taught: Traditional history focuses heavily on European figures, often leaving out African and Asian connections.

4. The Year the Sun Disappeared - 536 CE

Historians referred to 536 as "the worst year to be alive." A mysterious fog blanketed much of the world for almost two years, causing a global temperature drop, crop failures, and eventually famine.

Research conducted in 2019 suggests that a huge volcanic eruption occurred and subsequently other eruptions, which subsequently initiated a small ice age.

Why it's not taught: It was a catastrophe on a global scale that occurred prior to any significant modern-day record, making it more challenging to combine in a school curriculum timeline.

5. The CIA's "Acoustic project kitty"

During the Cold War, the CIA attempted to use cats for spying. They implanted small microphones and transmitters inside of cats and hoped they could be deployed to record conversations in secret among the Soviet leaders.

The first test was released in Washington, D.C., when she was promptly knocked over by a taxi. It was scrapped (and cost an estimated millions of dollars).

Why It's Not Taught: It sounds more like a comedy skit than an actual intelligence project - but it was real.

6. The War of the Whiskers- The Soccer War of 1325

In 1325 in Italy, a soccer game between two towns — Modena and Bologna — sparked a war. The prize was a wooden bucket that Modena had stolen from Bologna.

Why it’s not taught: The reason for the war sounds ridiculous. It is no more ridiculous than the "serious" reasons why wars are discussed in classrooms.

7. The Real Trojan Horse of WWII

In 1944, British soldiers created a giant wooden horse to hide troops in and used it for an infiltration of a German-held island in Greece. The operation was inspired by the legend of Troy and ended up being surprisingly successful.

Why it’s not taught: It is overshadowed by larger events of WWII like D-Day and the Battle of Stalingrad.

8. The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript is a 15th century book written in an unknown language, which is filled with weird pictures of plants, astronomical charts, and strange humans. While the manuscript has observed for decades, no one has been able to fully decode the work.

Why it’s not taught: The book itself, it's purpose, and/or its meaning, are unknown, so its more of a historical mystery than a specific and definable event.

9. The Black Tom Explosion (1916)

In a spectacularly bold act during World War I, German operatives destroyed a munitions depot in New Jersey, producing one of the largest non-nuclear detonations on record. The blast even ruptured the Statue of Liberty and broke glass windows in Times Square.

Why it is not taught: The U.S. government downplayed the explosion to avoid alarming the American public prior to officially entering the war.

10. The REAL Amazon Warriors

Ancient Greek myth recorded the story of the Amazons, the women warriors; credible archaeological finds at Scythian burial sites in Central Asia demonstrate that many female skeletons were placed with weaponry, and evidence of injuries and evidence of battle wounds indicate they were indeed warriors.

Why it is not taught: Ancient accounts of warfare that just included the males, such as Goths, Huns, English, etc. are challenged.

11. The "Great Molasses Flood" in 1919

In Boston, a massive molasses storage tank ruptured, releasing a wave of molasses that filled the street with syrup running at 35 mph. It caused 21 fatalities and 150 injuries.

Why it is not taught: It's considered too odd or "silly" to be taken seriously in a history textbook.

12. Operation Paul Bunyan - the Show of Force

In 1976, after two U.S. soldiers were killed cutting a tree in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the U.S. initiated "Operation Paul Bunyan".

It was not an attack - it was just hundreds of troops, vehicles, and helicopters coming to cut down the tree while North Korea's military looked on. It was a strength-showing operation without the use of force.

Why it is not taught: It's a rare example of a military operation which used strength for strategy, as opposed to actual combat.

Conclusion

The History that you learned in school only paints half of the picture. It wasn't just dancing plagues and underwater cities, we need to consider the best parts of the past - human creativity, mistakes, resilience, and mystery.

Exploring these hidden events in our History & remembering them for what they were provides the chance to revive forgotten facts and demonstrate how truth is often stranger than fiction and certainly stranger than standardised history.