strange stuff

From strange crimes to strange celebrity deaths, read all of the latest weird and strange stuff news stories on Newser.com

Stories 1941 - 1960 | << Prev   Next >>

China Forced to Confirm It's Not Exporting Canned Human Meat

Cue the diplomatic outrage

(Newser) - There are normal diplomatic relations, and then there's the weird scene playing out between Zambia and China. The latter accuses a tabloid and social media in the African nation of spreading a "malicious" rumor in an attempt to weaken relations between the two countries. "Gruesome" would be...

Medieval 'Knight' Knocks Out Drone With a Spear

Nice shot, sire

(Newser) - We now know what would happen if a drone traveled back in time to the Middle Ages. A talented knight—more precisely, a talented medieval reenactor—at Russia's Rusborg festival managed to down a drone with a throw of his spear. The drone was recording the event from about...

Someone Just Bought 14 Strands of Thomas Jefferson's Hair

For $6,875

(Newser) - A lock of hair from Thomas Jefferson has sold at auction in Texas for $6,875, nearly 190 years after the former president died, the AP reports. Heritage Auctions in Dallas said Saturday's sale involved 14 strands that were snipped by Jefferson's personal physician at the time of...

Girl Accidentally Swallows Fitness Tracker. It Still Works

Doctors retrieved it from 13-year-old's stomach

(Newser) - The Misfit Shine activity tracker is not only waterproof, but can apparently also withstand stomach acid. Doctors say a 13-year-old girl in South Korea removed the tracker from her watch band—it can also be fixed to necklaces and clipped to clothing—and popped it in her mouth while she...

Doctor Defends Decision to Help 72-Year-Old Give Birth

Other doctors want to ban fertility treatments for women 50 and above

(Newser) - An embryologist in India is defending his decision to help a 72-year-old woman give birth for the first time . Dr. Anurag Bishnoi tells the Guardian he was at first hesitant to perform the IVF procedure for Daljinder Kaur and her 79-year-old husband at his clinic in Hisar, but went ahead...

Master Chef Firing Daughter Over Insult on Diners' Bill

A manager, 2 servers also got the boot

(Newser) - Four diners—three of whom were wearing plaid—dined on deep-fried eggplant, Szechuan shrimp, and fish rolls at Chinese Master Chef Peter Chang's restaurant in Arlington, Va., on Saturday. But when it came time to pay, they found two extra line items on their $115 bill: "Im a...

Guy Takes 3 Days to Realize He Shot Himself

Medication for a back injury apparently masked the pain

(Newser) - Michael Blevins was cleaning his pistol at his home in Deltona, Fla., on Thursday when he accidentally shot himself in the arm, police say. It took him only three days to realize. The 37-year-old says he was holding his gun to his chest, away from his dog, when his back...

MRE Enthusiasts Trade, Eat Decades-Old Military Meals

'That's pretty disgusting'

(Newser) - Why would anyone chow down on biscuits and chocolate produced and packaged in 1945 for soldiers fighting WWII? "Why not?" says YouTuber Steve1989. "This is what we do … I guess." Steve, last name withheld, is part of a small community of collectors (and tasters) of military...

Teen Plays Paintball for First Time, Suffers Unheard Of Injury

Only 4th known time a person has suffered any kind of organ damage while playing

(Newser) - When an 18-year-old arrived at a London emergency room with severe abdominal pain, no appetite, and a fever, doctors recognized the symptoms of appendicitis and scheduled an emergency surgery. They were in for a shock. Once the teen had been cut open, doctors at North Middlesex University Hospital were "...

KFC Serves Up Chicken-Flavored Nail Polish

It's real, at least in Hong Kong

(Newser) - The "finger lickin' good" taste of KFC chicken can now remain on your hands long after you wash, should that sound the least bit appetizing. Ogilvy & Mather has paired with the company that provides KFC's blend of 11 herbs and spices to produce … edible nail polishes,...

University: Paying $17K for Dining Hall Table Was Mistake

In fairness, the table includes some fancy LED lights

(Newser) - The University of New Hampshire now acknowledges that spending $17,000 on a custom-made chef's table with LED lights for the campus dining hall was a mistake, the AP reports. Initially, university officials thought the light-up table would allow the dining staff to interact with students and demonstrate healthy...

Farmer Plows Prince's Symbol Into His Field

He always liked the song 'Purple Rain'

(Newser) - A retiree in a tiny community in North Dakota has paid tribute to Prince in perhaps the most unique way a farmer can, the AP reports. Gene Hanson is a retired farmer in Edgeley who always liked the song "Purple Rain." On Friday, he hopped on his tractor...

Fishermen Use Friend's Ashes to Reel In Huge Fish

'It's what he would have wanted'

(Newser) - In a sweet—and maybe also a little bit weird—move, two fishermen honored a fellow fisherman who passed away by turning his ashes into bait and using it to reel in a huge carp. Paul Fairbrass and Cliff Dale were planning a fishing trip to Thailand with Ron Hopper,...

For Sale: Seattle's Mystery 'Spite House'

860-square-foot oddity for sale for half a million dollars

(Newser) - From the front, a half-million-dollar home on the Re/Max website looks like a quaint Spanish Revival in the heart of Seattle. Head to the side for a different perspective, and you'll see appearances are deceiving. You're looking at what Yahoo says locals call the "Montlake Spite House,...

Guy Punched for Looking Like Shia LaBeouf

Stranger was apparently not a fan of the actor

(Newser) - A New York man was walking up the stairs at a subway station Saturday night when a man walking the other way punched him right in the face. Why? "This is because you look like f---ing Shia LaBeouf," the stranger yelled at Mario Licato, as detailed in the...

Big Problem in California: Massive Whale Carcass

Officials aren't sure how to handle dead whale on San Onofre beach

(Newser) - The massive carcass of a whale was rotting Tuesday at a popular California surfing spot while authorities were deciding whether to tow it out to sea or cut it into pieces and load them on trucks, the AP reports. Meanwhile, crowds braved the overpowering stench to pose for photos in...

School Name Proposal: Schoolie McSchoolface, Of Course

Who knows how long this trend will last

(Newser) - People have apparently been inspired by the "Boaty McBoatface" fervor : A racehorse was recently named Horsey McHorseface , and now Schoolie McSchoolface has been proposed as the new name of an elementary school in Austin, Texas. The school district voted in March to rename Robert E. Lee Elementary based on...

Alaska Town Freaks as Creek Turns Green

But it was just a harmless prank, and cops are taking it in stride

(Newser) - Alaska authorities can apparently take a joke: They say the green water flowing in the Ketchikan Creek that caused some panic and drew a response from multiple agencies was the result of a prank. Officials have determined that the dye dumped into the water on Wednesday is non-toxic. Ketchikan police...

Irate Beaver 'Takes Man Hostage'

Cops thought his call for help was a prank

(Newser) - A rogue beaver struck terror into the heart of a man making his way home late at night in the Latvian city of Daugavpils, according to a local newspaper report picked up by Latvian Public Broadcasting . The man, identified only as Sergei, says the beaver ran out of some bushes...

Tiger Roamed Texas Streets, Wearing Collar and Leash

Animal control officers captured her after calls from concerned citizens

(Newser) - Animal control officers have captured an apparently domesticated tiger that was spotted roaming a residential neighborhood in a South Texas city, the AP reports. The Conroe Police Department says it received several phone calls Thursday from residents who saw the young female tiger wandering around the city. Animal control officers...

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