Results: Historical Oddities & Unsolved Mysteries
Published on 01/04/2026
History is usually written as a series of clear dates, battles, and inventions. But hidden between the pages of textbooks are events so strange that they defy logic and leave modern science scratching its head.
From a town that couldn't stop dancing to meat falling from a cloudless sky, our past is filled with 'glitches' that remind us how much we still don't know about the world we live in.
This survey will take you through five of the most baffling occurrences in human history. We want to know your instincts: When faced with the impossible, which explanation feels most 'real' to you?
Step into the unknown. No specialized history degree required—just a curious mind.
My sources for this survey are me reading a lot on many different websites and finding images on Google to match the questions.
QUESTIONS
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Comments
1.
1.
The Dancing Plague of 1518 In July 1518, hundreds of people in Strasbourg started dancing uncontrollably for days on end without rest, leading to many deaths. Which theory do you find most plausible for this occurrence?
Mass Psychogenic Illness (stress-induced mass hysteria)
21%
377 votes
Ergotism (poisoning from a fungus found on rye bread)
21%
384 votes
Religious Ecstasy (a trance-like state triggered by ritual)
11%
197 votes
A coordinated social protest or cult activity
6%
111 votes
Not Applicable
41%
731 votes
2.
2.
The Voynich Manuscript Carbon-dated to the early 15th century, this illustrated book is written in an entirely unknown script that has never been cracked. What is your take on its origin?
It is a sophisticated, undecipherable natural language.
12%
213 votes
It is a deliberate hoax or "gibberish" created for profit.
18%
323 votes
It is a complex substitution cipher used to hide medical or herbal secrets.
12%
224 votes
It is an "artificial language" constructed by a single individual.
15%
263 votes
Not Applicable
43%
777 votes
3.
3.
The "Mary Celeste" Mystery In 1872, the merchant ship Mary Celeste was found adrift in the Atlantic. The ship was in seaworthy condition with all cargo intact, but the entire crew had vanished without a trace. What likely happened?
Fear of an explosion (alcohol fumes) led to a premature abandonment.
18%
320 votes
A violent mutiny occurred among the crew.
15%
273 votes
A rare environmental phenomenon (like a waterspout or seaquake).
19%
335 votes
Piracy (despite the cargo being left behind)
8%
146 votes
Not Applicable
40%
726 votes
4.
4.
The Tunguska Event of 1908 A massive explosion flattened 80 million trees in a remote part of Siberia, yet no impact crater was ever found. What do you believe caused the "Great Siberian Explosion"?
A stony asteroid that exploded in mid-air (airburst).
25%
456 votes
A "dirty snowball" comet that vaporized upon entry.
12%
220 votes
A localized volcanic event or "terrestrial gas" explosion.
18%
320 votes
An encounter with a microscopic black hole or dark matter.
4%
74 votes
Not Applicable
41%
730 votes
5.
5.
Bonus Question: On a clear day in March 1876, chunks of red meat fell from the sky over a 100-yard area in Bath County, Kentucky. Two brave locals even tasted it, noting it tasted like mutton or venison. What is the most likely source of this "shower"?
A Rare Weather Phenomenon: A "meat-bearing" whirlwind or waterspout that picked up biological material and dropped it.
19%
348 votes
The Vulture Theory: A large flock of vultures flying overhead simultaneously vomited as a defense mechanism or due to illness.
17%
304 votes
Local farmers staged the event to bring attention or tourism to the area.
13%
240 votes
An Unidentified Biological Event: A chemical reaction in the atmosphere that created "organic-like" matter.
7%
128 votes
Not Applicable
43%
780 votes
6.
6.
(1) a classic case of mass hysteria is the most widely accepted theory. There was a tv show I watched where they stated it was ergot in their rye bread, but ergot causes muscle spasms that would prevent people from dancing for days and days. (2) growing evidence suggests it's a hoax (3) A combination of bad weather, a faulty chronometer (making them think they were closer to land than they were), and pump issues led the captain to make a hasty, panicked decision to abandon ship for the lifeboat, believing it was the safer option. Then the lifeboat holding the crew was lost at sea. (4) Experts widely agree the 1908 Tunguska event was an airburst explosion of a stony asteroid or comet fragment in Earth's atmosphere, causing immense shockwaves that flattened 2,000+ sq km of Siberian forest but left no impact crater because the object vaporized miles above ground. (5) the vulture vomit theory best explains the tissue types (lung, connective tissue) found in samples and the distribution pattern, though no birds were seen overhead at the time. How many did you get correct? (Actually, we will never know for sure, but...) which theories that are the most widely accepted did you pick?
0
13%
240 votes
1
14%
256 votes
2
13%
233 votes
3
7%
122 votes
4 You should be an expert!
6%
114 votes
5. Wow! Great! Wonderful! Fantastic! A+++++++++
5%
83 votes
Not Applicable
42%
752 votes
COMMENTS