Amusingly named historical events

[NERVUN]

I'm curious to how some German cities have odd names and most are related to meaty substances:
1-Worms
2-Frankfurt
3-Hamburg

Are the only 3 i know but i guess this is why all the Prussians were massive beasts.

Er... you got your causality reversed there for 2 & 3.

I wish I could find what book this was in, but I remember reading abou the Battle of the Bands shortly before the Mexican-American war where two military bands stood on either side of the border and proceeded to play their national anthems and other patriotic music at each other.

[Nazi Flower Power]

I wonder how these names are given. They're sometimes so odd and don't even make sense when looked at.

The meats are named after the cities, not the other way around.

[Blargoblarg]

The War of Jenkin's Ear is my favorite of the ones listed.

[Caninope]

The Saturday Night Massacre.

[Caninope]

I'm curious to how some German cities have odd names and most are related to meaty substances:
1-Worms
2-Frankfurt
3-Hamburg

Are the only 3 i know but i guess this is why all the Prussians were massive beasts.

The last two had the meats named after them, not the other way around.

[Grant Park]

I've always liked the Battle of Balaclava. This was a battle during the Crimean War that included the 'Charge of the Light Brigade'. I've always pictured two armies wearing ski masks.

[NobleBastard]

The War of Pork and Beans I find it amusing because it is also related to Canada.
What do you think they were fighting aboot?

[Caras Galadon]

I'd just like to point out the Pommerska Kriget, which in English means "Pomeranian War" though it was part of the Seven Years War. Also, the Pomeranian Offensive of WWII is funny. Mainly because it just conjures to mind little yipping ankle biter dogs in armor charging each other and fur flying...

[Grays Harbor]

Gonna go for The Pig War

[Marisena]

Gonna go for The Pig War

Man...I was gonna say that one.

[Mushet]

The Great Molasses Flood

[Qazox]

The Battle of Cowpens.

First time I'd heard of it, somehow the image of British and American soldiers fighting in a cowpens, hiding behind cows came to mind.

[The Archregimancy]

How is the Boston Tea Party funny? It was appropriately named people dressed up as Indians poured all of the East India co. tea into Boston Harbor, then the Brits got mad.

Pretend you know nothing about American history.

What would 'Boston Tea Party' more likely bring to mind then?

Is it more likely to suggest to you a group of American protesters (only a small minority of whom were dressed as Mohawks) boarding a vessel to throw tea overboard in protest against British tea taxes?

Or would it be more likely to suggest a group of colonial Bostonians politely gathered together over tea, sandwiches and cake making witty conversation about the leading issues of the day.

I would suggest the latter. Though it may well be that the name is intentionally ironic. 'Boston Tea Party' wasn't the contemporary name for the event; it was initially referred to as the more accurate - but rather boring - 'destruction of the tea'. There's no evidence of the current name until the 1830s.

[The Archregimancy]

I've always liked the Battle of Balaclava. This was a battle during the Crimean War that included the 'Charge of the Light Brigade'. I've always pictured two armies wearing ski masks.

Wrong way round.

The item of clothing appears to be named after the city, having been popularised during the Crimean War by the city and battle.

[Mongolian Khanate]

I must admit the first time one of my history teacher spoke of defenestration, I had no idea what it meant, only that it sounded painful.

[Laerod]

I must admit the first time one of my history teacher spoke of defenestration, I had no idea what it meant, only that it sounded painful.

The victims of the first one landed softly, though.

[Nazis in Space]

There's a bunch of pretty neat ones here.

• Operation Desert Snowplough (hee)
• Operation Soda Mountain (wat)
• Operation Santa Strike (Santa gets srs 'bout humanitarian aid)
• Operation Soccer Ball (Take it literally)
• Operation Stocking Stuffer (wut)
• Operation Jaws V (People's taste in movies seems... Questionable)
• Operation Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (Humanitarian)
• Operation Three Kings (lol, fitting reference)
• Operation Enduring Education (Also a way to get kids to school, I suppose...)
• Operation William Wallace (What, you thought the friendly fire incidence with the British forces were... Accidental?)
• Operation Justice League

The US Army also appears to have a fondness of naming its operations after westerns... True Grit, Unforgiven (Dirty Harry isn't a western, but proves the armed forces' love of Clint Eastwood)... I'm sure I missed a number.

Now, granted, most of these stretch the conventional definition of 'Historical Event', but...

[The Archregimancy]

There's a bunch of pretty neat ones here.

• Operation Desert Snowplough (hee)
• Operation Soda Mountain (wat)
• Operation Santa Strike (Santa gets srs 'bout humanitarian aid)
• Operation Soccer Ball (Take it literally)
• Operation Stocking Stuffer (wut)
• Operation Jaws V (People's taste in movies seems... Questionable)
• Operation Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (Humanitarian)
• Operation Three Kings (lol, fitting reference)
• Operation Enduring Education (Also a way to get kids to school, I suppose...)
• Operation William Wallace (What, you thought the friendly fire incidence with the British forces were... Accidental?)
• Operation Justice League

The US Army also appears to have a fondness of naming its operations after westerns... True Grit, Unforgiven (Dirty Harry isn't a western, but proves the armed forces' love of Clint Eastwood)... I'm sure I missed a number.

Now, granted, most of these stretch the conventional definition of 'Historical Event', but...

No, no... those are all good. They're undeniably at least part of a broader historical event, anyway.

Military operation names are often good for a laugh, and undoubtedly relate to history.

You might enjoy this website: http://www.ftrain.com/cgi-bin/l_operati ... num_ops=10

[Cosmopoles]

How about the Pastry War? Croissants are serious business.

[Eastfield Lodge]

There's a bunch of pretty neat ones here.

• Operation Desert Snowplough (hee)
• Operation Soda Mountain (wat)
• Operation Santa Strike (Santa gets srs 'bout humanitarian aid)
• Operation Soccer Ball (Take it literally)
• Operation Stocking Stuffer (wut)
• Operation Jaws V (People's taste in movies seems... Questionable)
• Operation Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (Humanitarian)
• Operation Three Kings (lol, fitting reference)
• Operation Enduring Education (Also a way to get kids to school, I suppose...)
• Operation William Wallace (What, you thought the friendly fire incidence with the British forces were... Accidental?)
• Operation Justice League

The US Army also appears to have a fondness of naming its operations after westerns... True Grit, Unforgiven (Dirty Harry isn't a western, but proves the armed forces' love of Clint Eastwood)... I'm sure I missed a number.

Now, granted, most of these stretch the conventional definition of 'Historical Event', but...

No, no... those are all good. They're undeniably at least part of a broader historical event, anyway.

Military operation names are often good for a laugh, and undoubtedly relate to history.

You might enjoy this website: http://www.ftrain.com/cgi-bin/l_operati ... num_ops=10

Operation Humane Ayatollah?

[SD_Film Artists]

Cod War

[The Archregimancy]

Cod War

Why stop at cod?

There was also a Turbot War.

[Angleter]

How is the Boston Tea Party funny? It was appropriately named people dressed up as Indians poured all of the East India co. tea into Boston Harbor, then the Brits got mad.

Pretend you know nothing about American history.

What would 'Boston Tea Party' more likely bring to mind then?

Is it more likely to suggest to you a group of American protesters (only a small minority of whom were dressed as Mohawks) boarding a vessel to throw tea overboard in protest against British tea taxes?

Or would it be more likely to suggest a group of colonial Bostonians politely gathered together over tea, sandwiches and cake making witty conversation about the leading issues of the day.

I would suggest the latter. Though it may well be that the name is intentionally ironic. 'Boston Tea Party' wasn't the contemporary name for the event; it was initially referred to as the more accurate - but rather boring - 'destruction of the tea'. There's no evidence of the current name until the 1830s.

I believe there was one copycat incident where a group of Patriots were all getting dressed up as Mohawks ready to storm the ship when the local populace stormed it anyway. I imagine they were quite disappointed.

[-St George]

Defenestration by a mile.

This

[Offenheim]

Defenestration by a mile.

This

I dunno, I think that "defenestration" as a word is simply not descriptive enough. It reminds me of antidisestablishmentarianism. It's a word you can recognize as being English, but it takes a fair bit of work to figure out what it means. When you read about the actual defenestrations, they're really funny, but the name itself isn't that amusing.

War of Jenkins' Ear has such a simple name, and it's descriptive. You know somehow an ear belonging to Jenkins was involved. You're not quite sure how, but damn if it doesn't conjure up a great image of people fighting over getting this guy's ear back.

---

Someone was asking if there are any cities named after beers. No. But there are beers named after cities. Pilsner is a fine example.