Bizarre Bits Of History That Sound Made Up But Are 100% Real

We all have our favorite "legends" in history that we sometimes wish were true.

The Loch Ness Monster, Anastasia Romanoff's supposed escape and survival, that Paul McCartney isn't who he appears to be.

When one stops to think about most of these actual myths, we come to realize that all of these stories are far too absurd to actually be true.

However, even if a story is utterly outrageous, even to the point of unbelievable, that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't true.

Redditor Perfect-Philosophy23 was eager to learn outrageous stories that are completely true, leading them to ask:

"What’s a bizarre piece of history that sounds completely made up but is 100% real?"

Late To The Game!

"A fellow named Alfred Ely Beech secretly and without government approval built a ‘demonstration’ subway based on pneumatic tube technology - in 1870. Beech claimed he was just making pneumatic tubes for messages, not humans."

"This caused a public sensation when it was unveiled, and people flocked to ride it - even though it only had one station, but due to various reasons, it was never pursued."

"Eventually it was sealed up and forgotten about."

"However, when New York actually started to build a subway system in 1911, the workers digging the tunnel broke in to the tunnel created by Alfred Beech, and found everything just as it was left: a subway car, the tunnel - even the piano used to play music for passengers in the station, frescos, fancy lamps, etc."

"They were allegedly dumbfounded."

"Imagine digging the first subway, only to dig into another much older subway you didn’t know about!"- Malthus1

Taking "God's Children" A Bit Too Literally...

"The largest civil war in human history happened in the mid 1800s in China after a man failed the civil service exam, got sick, had a mental breakdown while reading a poorly translated copy of the Gospels and came to the conclusion that he was Jesus’s Chinese brother."- G*ddamnpassword

Against All Odds

"A British sailor survived three ship sinkings in ONE DAY during WWI."

"TBH, it was three ship sinkings in a single morning."

"On September 22nd, 1914, Wenman 'Kit' Wykeham-Musgrave started the day aboard the British Royal Navy cruiser HMS Aboukir, which was on patrol off the Dutch coast."

"The Aboukir was torpedoed by the German U-boat SM U-9."

"It was mistakenly thought that the Aboukir hit a mine and the HMS Cressy and HMS Hogue approached to rescue sailors who had jumped into the sea, including Wykeham-Musgrave."

"As he swam to and was getting on board the Hogue, it was torpedoed by the SM U-9."

"Into the water again, Wykeham-Musgrave then swam to the Cressy and it, too, was torpedoed by the SM U-9."

"He was eventually found on a bit of driftwood, became unconscious and was eventually picked up by a Dutch trawler."

"Nearly 1,400 British sailors died in the three sinkings."

"Musgrave survived WWI and re-joined the Royal Navy in 1939, survived WWII and lived to the age of 90."- hewhoisneverobeyed

  Black And White Salute GIF by National WWI Museum and Memorial  Giphy  

Cough Cough...

"For some time, wealthy Romans used asbestos napkins, because they could be cleaned by putting them into the fire, incinerating the dirt, but leaving the asbestos."- Lvcivs2311

A Story That Should Be Told MUCH More Often

"When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, they were met by a Wampanoag Indian who spoke English and had been to England."

"His name was Tisquantum (popularly known as Squanto), and he had been kidnapped and sold into slavery in Spain years earlier, in 1614."

"From there he was ransomed to freedom by Franciscan priests, eventually making his way to England and then back to Massachusetts in 1619 -- before the Pilgrims arrived in 1620."- No-Donkey-4117

This Should Be A Movie Too!

"Judy Cohen was one of the first female aerospace engineers, with her career beginning in the 50’s."

"She worked on the Hubble Space Telescope and the tracking and data relay satellite on the Minuteman Missle."

"She was pregnant and working for the Apollo Space Program when she went into labor."

"Before heading to the hospital, she picked up some documents for the problem she was working on."

"The problem was with the Abort-Guidance System, a crucial component for mission safety which ultimately played a major role in successfully returning the crew of Apollo 13."

"She worked on it while in labor at the hospital, solved the problem, and promptly gave birth…to Jack Black."- Heap_of_birds

  salutes jack black GIF  Giphy  

Yep, You Read That Correctly

"The Dutch eating their prime minister."- Wherestheshoe

"Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum"...

"In 1838, the Missouri governor issued an executive order directing the extermination of all Mormons in the state."

"The order wasn't rescinded until 1976."- solarhawks

Right Place Wrong Time... Or Vice Versa?

"Wilmer McLean, a Virginia merchant, is notable for his homes being the site of the beginning and the end of the American Civil War."

"His first home, near Manassas, was where the First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) broke out in 1861, with the house serving as General Beauregard's headquarters."

"To escape the war, McLean moved his family over 100 miles south to Appomattox Court House."

"Ironically, it was in his new home that General Lee surrendered to General Grant in 1865, effectively ending the war."- droidguy27

  civil war travel GIF  Giphy  

A Killer's Killer...

"The man who killed John Wilkes Booth is an insane story."

"Lived through the civil war, self castration, etc."

"He’s a character."- Fun_Plate_5086

Not In It For The Glory Apparently

"A little boy once won an olympic gold medal when he was recruited as a last-minute ringer for a rowing team (they were over the weight limit)."

"He disappeared before they could award it to him."

"He never came forward, and nobody knows who he was."- Nemesis0408

Pity Those Who Without An Umbrella

"On March 3, 1876, chunks of red meat fell from a clear sky near Olympia Springs, KY, covering a 100x50-yard area."

"Witnessed by Mrs. Crouch, the 'Kentucky Meat Shower' baffled locals."

"Theories range from vulture vomit to alien origins."

"A preserved sample, identified as animal lung tissue, is displayed at the Bath County History Museum."- Appropriate-Age3827

  Chef Cooking GIF  Giphy  

Should We Be Saying "The Birds And The Beetles Instead?"...

"As a species, magnolia trees are so old that they're pollinated by beetles because they evolved before bees existed."-PlasmaPizzaSticks

Our Mothers Warned Us...

"That one (British?) soldier who captured a tank by poking the driver in the eye with his umbrella."- yeah_yeah_therabbit

  Colors Rain GIF  Giphy  

Some of these stories truly seem beyond belief.

But as the saying goes, most of the time truth is stranger than fiction.