Wacky history

Cods and pigs: 10 strangest “wars” that actually happened

Image: Museums Victoria

Not all conflicts are fought for power or territory—some "wars" erupted over pies, buckets, and even unsuspecting animals. Human history, it seems, can be incredibly unpredictable. From bizarre misunderstandings to centuries-long stalemates over trivial disputes, here are 10 of the strangest "wars" ever fought.

Image: The Now Time

In 1838, French pastry chef Remontel demanded compensation after his shop in Mexico was looted by soldiers. France sent warships to collect, escalating into an all-out war.

When Mexico refused to pay, France blockaded Veracruz and bombarded the city. The war only ended when Britain mediated, leading to Mexico paying 600,000 pesos to avoid further conflict.

Image: Alex Boyd

A land dispute over a strip of land called the Toledo Strip caused Ohio and Michigan to nearly go to war in the 1830s. The states armed militias but only exchanged minor skirmishes.

The conflict only ended when the federal government intervened, awarding Ohio the disputed land and giving Michigan the Upper Peninsula as compensation.

Image: Alexandra Mirgheș

In 1925, a Greek soldier chased his stray dog across the Bulgarian border and was shot, sparking hostilities. In response, Greece invaded, capturing several villages before the League of Nations intervened.

Greece was ordered to withdraw and pay reparations to Bulgaria. Despite its absurd start, the conflict helped prove the effectiveness of international diplomacy in averting larger wars.

Image: Ricardo Resende

A 20th-century conflict, the Cod Wars were disputes between Iceland and the UK over fishing rights in the North Atlantic. Iceland extended its fishing boundaries several times, angering British trawlers.

Despite no deaths, the confrontations involved ramming ships and cutting nets. Iceland eventually prevailed, asserting control over its waters and reshaping international fishing agreements.

Image: Sharon Co Images

In 1932, Australia deployed soldiers to manage an emu overpopulation wreaking havoc on crops. Using machine guns, they expected an easy victory but were surprisingly outwitted by the agile birds, accomplishing nothing.

The campaign failed spectacularly, and emus remains a humorous symbol of nature’s resistance to human efforts, even to its military might! The government later turned to fencing to manage the problem without making fools of themselves.

Image: Pavlo Semeniuk

In 1325, rival Italian city-states Bologna and Modena clashed when Modenese soldiers stole a bucket from Bologna's city well. A large battle ensued, resulting in well over 2,000 deaths.

Eventually, Modena triumphed, and the bucket is still displayed as a trophy in the city. While the origins of the conflict might seem bizarre, it highlights the intense (and sometimes absurd) rivalries between independent cities in medieval Italy.

Image: Christopher Carson

In 1859, on the still undefined U.S.-Canada border, a stray pig innocently crossed the border to eat vegetables from a neighboring farm, prompting an angry farmer to shoot it. This led to a feud with his neighbor that escalated into a military standoff between American and British forces, which lasted months.

The "war" only ended when the border issue was peacefully resolved through international arbitration. Fortunately, there were no casualties, except for the poor pig.

Image: Clark Young

This conflict between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly began during the English Civil War. According to local historians, the small archipelago declared war on the Netherlands but never bothered to sign a peace treaty afterward.

Despite no fighting, it technically lasted over 300 years due to the forgotten declaration of war. In 1986, a peace treaty was finally signed, bringing an end to one of history’s most prolonged and bloodless "wars."

Image: martin bennie

Since the 1970s, Denmark and Canada have engaged in a playful "war" over Hans Island, with each side leaving flags and bottles of whisky or schnapps during their visits.

The dispute was finally resolved in 2022, with the island being split between the two nations. This resolution also resulted in Canada and Denmark sharing a land border, meaning neither country borders just one other—the United States in the case of Canada, and Germany in the case of Denmark.

Image: Maria Angelova

In 1784, the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic clashed over trade rights, with the Dutch winning the conflict by firing only one shot. The only casualty? A kettle of soup.

Apparently, when the bullet ricocheted off the metal container, the captain became so nervous that he immediately surrendered. While this incident wasn’t the last conflict between the two states, it remains a humorous example of history’s quirks.

THE NAMING GAME

Let's Explore These 10 Fun Facts Behind Our Names

Image: Jon Tyson

Names hold a very important place in almost every culture, shaping identities in special ways. Across the globe, the formation and significance of names change, yet they remain a crucial point of individual identity and cultural and family heritage.

Ever wondered about the story behind your name? Can you guess which famous artist had more than 15 names? Do you know which was, until now, the most common first name among U.S. presidents?

If you want to uncover the answers to these fun questions and more, join us as we reveal 10 surprising facts about names!

Image: David Everett Strickler

It is common knowledge that, so far, the US has seen 46 presidents in its history, but do you know which was the very first commander-in-chief with a middle name?

It took George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe for the United States to finally welcome a president with a middle name. And that honor goes to John Quincy Adams, the sixth man to lead our nation, from 1825 to 1829.

His distinctive name comes from his mother's maternal grandfather, Colonel John Quincy, who also gave his name to the town of Quincy, Massachusetts!

Image: Kin Li

Of course, President John Quincy Adams wasn't the only one with a middle name! While many people and celebrities proudly embrace their middle names, others prefer to keep them secret. But here's a fact you might not have considered: some cartoons have middle names, too!

This is the case of Donald Duck, whose middle name went unnoticed for many years, maybe because it's not the most common name out there. The full name of this adorable duck is Donald Fauntleroy Duck! Fancy, don't you think?

Image: Adam Jang

Unlike countries like the United States, where parents have wide freedom when choosing a name for their babies, Iceland has a naming system that truly sets it apart from the rest.

In 1991, Iceland established its Naming Committee, which has the big responsibility of approving -or disapproving- names for its citizens. Based on Icelandic grammar and tradition, this initiative seeks to safeguard the nation's culture.

To do so, Icelanders have carefully composed lists of approved names for boys and girls. So, if you want to live in Iceland and aspire to name your newborn after a beloved foreign rock star, you must first undergo the scrutiny of the Committee.

Image: PassionatoAssai, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

There are people with only one first name, while others proudly carry two. There are people out there with three, four, or even five names! And if you think that's crazy, wait until you hear how many names this famous artist had.

While the world knows him as Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter's full name was Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. No, it's not a joke! Imagine having more than 20 words in your ID; maybe even Picasso himself had trouble remembering his full name by heart!

Image: Sean Bernstein

We all know Barbie and Ken, icons of fashion and fun. But did you ever stop to wonder about their full identities? While Barbie's full name, Barbara Millicent Roberts, might be familiar, Ken's last name may probably have been overlooked.

However, Barbie's boyfriend has a full -and quite long- name of his own: Kenneth Sean "Ken" Carson Jr.

Just like Barbie, who was named after Ruth Handler's daughter, Ken's name is a family matter too; it's derived from her son's first name.

Image: Christopher Eden

William Shakespeare's name, synonymous with literary greatness, is famous worldwide, but what about his wife? While her face might not be as instantly recognizable, once you hear her name, it will definitely ring a bell.

Ok, let's end the mystery: the wife of the very talented and well-remembered Shakespeare was Anne Hathaway. Yes, you read it right; she had the same name and last name as the beloved actress who amused us in the 2006 unforgettable comedy The Devil Wears Prada. But, of course, there is a slight difference: the first Anne Hathaway came into the world in 1556, a good 426 years before her namesake!

Image: Ronda Darby

Throughout US history, we've seen some presidents with unusual names, such as Millard, Grover, and Rutherford. But among these unique names, there is one that stands out for its recurrence, as it has reached the presidency not once, not twice, but six times!

"James" is a familiar name to almost everyone, and it also had a place inside the White House. The six presidents who have proudly held the name James were: James Madison, James Monroe, James K. Polk, James Buchanan, James A. Garfield, and Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter Jr.)

Image: Jamie Street

If you have a pet, you know that choosing the perfect name for it is a meaningful moment, right?

Well, while we pride ourselves on our creativity and originality when it comes to naming our puppies, there seems to be a trend repeating across the country.

Based on a 2023 report, it turns out there are four names that are quite the favorites among American dog owners: Bella, Luna, Charlie, and Max. And it's easy to see why; they're just adorable!

Image: Simone Savoldi

You might be aware that Popes don't retain their birth names upon assuming the papacy. Instead, they adopt a new name as a tribute to a saint or revered figure they admire and wish to highlight.

However, this tradition hasn't been followed by all Popes in history. There have been some Popes that kept their original birth names, even though more than 460 years have passed since the last one made that decision.

Marcellus II, who assumed in 1555, was born Marcello Cervini degli Spannochi, and he was the last Pope to use his name during his papacy.

Image: Random Institute

Have you ever heard of patronymics? A patronymic is a name or middle name component that is based on the father's first name. It may seem confusing at first, but let's look at an example to clarify the situation.

Patronymics have impacted the evolution of surnames in many cultures, and some countries use them to this day, one of them being Russia. In general, Russian middle names have a direct connection to the father's name, including a form of patronymic. For example, if the father's name is Petr, the son's middle name would be Petrovich (Petr's son). If it is a daughter, it would be Petrovna (Petr's daughter).