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It's a universal truth that a school subject is as interesting as its teacher or the materials they provide. Take history, for example. Memorizing dead people's names, distant places, and so many dates; at the wrong hands, it can become quite boring.
But at the right ones, it becomes a valuable tool, showing how past societies, systems, ideologies, governments, cultures, and technologies were built, how they operated, and how they have changed. Not only does this knowledge make people more rounded, but it also inspires and accelerates one's critical thinking, a skill that transfers to every intellectual pursuit.
Plus, it can also be fun! We at Bored Panda expanded on our earlier list and put together a new collection of the best history memes on the internet.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Imagine
#2
Nestlé Biting Their Tongue
beastmachine. 3 years ago (edited)
Hard to believe it's the same company that thinks water isn't a human right
Howard Zinn, an American historian, playwright, philosopher, and socialist thinker, said he started studying the subject with one view in mind: to look for answers to the issues and problems he saw in the world about him. "By the time I went to college I had worked in a shipyard, had been in the Air Force, had been in a war. I came to history asking questions about war and peace, about wealth and poverty, about racial division," he explained.
Zinn saw the thrilling, entertaining side of history even without the memes. "There's a certain interest in inspecting the past and it can be fun, sort of like a detective story," he said. "I can make an argument for knowledge for its own sake as something that can add to your life. But while that's good, it is small in relation to the very large objective of trying to understand and do something about the issues that face us in the world today."
"Students should be encouraged to go into history in order to come out of it, and should be discouraged from going into history and getting lost in it, as some historians do."
#3
Anyone Know Her Of?
Alice Roosevelt with her dog Leo. She smoked cigarettes in public, chewed gum, placed bets with bookies, rode in cars with men, stayed out late partying, and kept a pet snake named Emily Spinach, which she often wore wrapped around one arm and took to parties. Her father President Theodore Roosevelt once said of her “I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both.” 1902.
#4
Simps
Samantha Lomb 3 years ago (edited)
Well focusing on a woman's sexuality as a way to undermine her legitimacy or achievements is common. Catherine the Great gets the same treatment. Elizabeth I has a whole chunk of the New World named after her not getting laid. And this is only the women who can't be effectively erased from the "Great Man" version of history. Thank god for gender, Queer, disability and minority studies for pushing to include historical actors who aren't white men in history and for revealing some of the most fascinating narratives out there.
To learn more about history meme culture, we contacted people behind one of its biggest communities, the appropriately-titled subreddit r/HistoryMemes. Its owner and head moderator, u/TheDelta was kind enough to respond.
"[Some of the most popular topics are] the World Wars (mainly 2) and the late interwar period (rise of the Nazis in Germany and the Sino-Japanese war)," they told Bored Panda. "Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, the assassination of Julius Caesar, and Vlad the Impaler [are also pretty big.]"
#5
It Really Do Be Like That
#6
Dog History Memes Are Undefeated
#7
Those Cows Are Beautiful
r/HistoryMemes has a whopping 2.8 million members with thousands browsing it at any given moment. If you like this sort of content, we can't recommend joining the subreddit enough. The moderator of this online community likes to think of it as a high school club — there's a general interest in the subject, but everyone has their own specific thing they like to study/know the most about.
u/TheDelta thinks history works great in memes because "everyone has to learn history in school and history itself is often taught/studied as a narrative and that is something we humans are drawn towards."
"Combining that with something we all have been exposed to and have (mostly limited) knowledge of, you have people who want to make memes and jokes to tell those events and stories," they explained.
#8
Low Blow
#9
Relatable
Samantha Lomb 3 years ago
I'm sure "overwhelming desire to beat someone with a chair" exists as a word in some language. At the every least the Germans can make it a word
#10
Humans Rock
However, as the moderator pointed out, one has to remain careful when "consuming" history. "The sheer amount of stuff we hear about from media (movies, books, video games, etc.) is just wrong or very much misinterpreted," u/TheDelta added.
"Things like German tanks being the best of WW2 and how they had such a mechanized army, how the 'vomitorium' used by the Romans was a place for them to vomit so they can eat more peacock brain and hummingbird wing, etc. I guess I'd say we really want to encourage fact-checking and people looking critically at this history you're told by people with little to no actual credentials."
George Santayana once said: "History is always written wrong, and so always needs to be rewritten." Something tells me he'd appreciate these memes!
#11
Shoutout Yuri
#12
Here We Go Again
#13
Wars Suck
#14
Astrologers Be Like
#15
Innovation Is Scary
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
There's an old cartoon where a woman asks a conductor from an electrical tram if it's safe. His reply: As long as your one foot isn't on the ground while your other foot is touching the wires, you're safe.
#16
Gotta Love Geography
#17
Canadians Are So Nice
Samantha Lomb 3 years ago
I think since Canada is literally digging up mass graves of Native school children we can agree that this tweet is far from their most aggressive act.
#18
Why Lord Mittens, You Look Ravishing!
#19
Respec
#20
Feels Good Man
#21
Sheeeesh
#22
You're Killin Me, Pilgrim
#23
Read The Primary Sources, People!
Steve Barnett 3 years ago
True. The Angels in the bible were described as being, well, all over the shop. A mish-mash of animals here, some gold wheels there (Yes, interlocking gold wheels, plus eyes?).
#24
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité!
François Carré 3 years ago (edited)
And if they lived to the age of 92 they could still see a quick and awful defeat of the French against the Prussians, the fall of the Second Empire, the rise of the Third Republic, and a ephemeral attempt at forming an utopian socialist government in Paris, which would result in a bloody civil war... all of this in less than one year.
#25
It Do Be Like That
Ryan Deschanel 3 years ago
In my country, you are not allowed to sell or buy your blood nor your plasma... It can only be donated for free. I still do it anyway, but I am upset.
#26
Home Of KFC’s Secret Recipe
#27
Effective & Efficient
#28
Fashion Is A Matter Of Historical Perspective
#29
Keep Your Voices Down; The English Could Walk In At Any Minute
#30
"Will You Update Your Portrait, Caesar?" "No, I Don't Think I Will"
#31
The Strike Was Truly An Up And Down Kind Of Affair
#32
Sick Balcony
King Joffrey 3 years ago
Sure but show us how the common man lived in ancient Rome and then we'll compare...
#33
Don't Be Tricked By The Puppets, Morty...
#34
'look Who's Laughing Now, Pierre!'
#35
My Stomach Hurts
#36
Weird How Many People Found Their True Calling During The Prohibition
#37
'are You Sure You Don't Want To Come In And Browse My Bedding Wares, Hans? You Look Tired From All That Intimidation You're Trying To Do'
Yudi Holtsberg 3 years ago
The man wearing a iron cross is a ww1 Jewish German veteran named is Richard stern. As an act of defiance is standing in front of his store.
#38
Like Father Like Son
#39
Me Who Knows That They Were Built By Aliens:*signature Look Of Superiority*
#40
Funny How Pop Culture Can Change How We Remember History
#41
We Are Perfect
Ryan Deschanel 3 years ago (edited)
Killed the natives, stole their lands, owned slaves, had racist laws, stole tea, betrayed Britain...
#42
I Wish Jesus Gave Me A Cool Nickname
#43
The War Never Really Left Him
King Joffrey 3 years ago
Haha, this is me as a kid. Also had a grandpa who fought in the war and heard all the stories way before I was ready to really comprehend them.
#44
Domestication Always Comes With A Heavy Price
#45
Rip Captain Cook
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
I'm sure if the indigenous people of America knew what would happen, they would have killed every stranger who set foot on their soil.
#46
You Know, I'm Something Of A Philosopher Myself
#47
The Odds Were Stacked Against The Scots
#48
"Lenin, Stop Taking Selfies! We Have A Civil War To Win!"
#49
'mamma Mia, Have You Never Heard Of The Frogmen At Alexandria?!'
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What do you think ?
Gavin Winchester 3 years ago
Yeah it’s ridiculous that memes these days don’t go anywhere near explaining the entire history of the world. Lucky they don’t though, how else would you get to try and act sanctimonious on the internet over such a paltry subject??
Load More Replies...
Gavin Winchester 3 years ago
Cue the spongebob rainbow meme “nobody cares”
Load More Replies...
Faith Hurst 3 years ago
I agree with a paper I read once that posited that dogs were the smartest animal because they recognized that humans were something they should hitch their wagon to and enjoy the ride.
Gavin Winchester 3 years ago
Yeah it’s ridiculous that memes these days don’t go anywhere near explaining the entire history of the world. Lucky they don’t though, how else would you get to try and act sanctimonious on the internet over such a paltry subject??
Load More Replies... Gavin Winchester 3 years ago
Cue the spongebob rainbow meme “nobody cares”
Load More Replies... Faith Hurst 3 years ago
I agree with a paper I read once that posited that dogs were the smartest animal because they recognized that humans were something they should hitch their wagon to and enjoy the ride.
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