Weird History Around the WorldAs long as human beings have been alive, we have been doing bizarre things that barely make sense. Here are lists of a few thousand of them.
Whether you’re a Civil War buff, a nostalgia aficionado, or just plain curious about history, there’s something for everyone at Weird History. The wide range of content we make reflects the broad array of interests and expertise of our team. One of the cool things about working here is the chance to share our passion projects with Weird History readers.
This list shows the pieces we most enjoyed working on this year, along with a little bit of insight into the thinking behind them.
This is a simple list from much earlier in the year, but it's one I think about a lot. The list of animals lost to extinction doesn't begin and end with dinosaurs and the dodo, it's a process that continues into the present day - and that's made crystal clear with this list. It's a fascinating glimpse into relatively recent history, and gives readers a chance to see creatures they may be learning about for the very first time. Coming from a background in environmental reporting, I'm partial to these types of stories - even though my frustration with the subject only increases with time.
This was a great chance to show how there was a lot more to the first World War than the deadlock of the Western Front. Things like the Eastern Front, Africa, and Romania’s disastrous involvement don’t typically get a lot of attention in textbooks or media, so it was a rewarding challenge to center a list around those types of items.
Writing and compiling this list was a blast. The items I wrote come from a place of genuine irritation, so I was able to air how annoyed I’ve been about the oversaturation of certain figures and names. But what made this list even better was getting to talk to others and read their thoughts. It’s not often we get to express our opinions, so the fact it got such good reception was wonderful.
I had a lot of fun putting together a collection of facts about Alexander the Great, and something that really struck me was how quickly it all fell apart after his passing. So I looked a bit more into the immediate aftermath and was hooked by the stories of intrigue, strategic maneuvering, and personal rivalries and failures. Turns out Alexander was an impossible act to follow.
It was very rewarding to put together and bring this incredible story to a wider audience.
