Category:
1990s

Splendid China

The Splendid China theme park in Florida was open from 1993 to 2003, located just a few miles from Disney World. Details from SFGate.com:

Hoping to capitalize on the rich tourism industry surrounding Walt Disney World, the companies teamed up to bring a theme park filled with miniature Chinese landmarks to the middle of a residential neighborhood in Kissimmee. Up went over 60 replicas, among them a small Forbidden City, a not-so-Great Wall of China, dozens of terra cotta warriors and a recreation of a street in Suzhou during the 1300s.


Critics mocked it as a "propaganda theme park". And eventually it was revealed to have been owned by the Chinese government, which was the only reason it managed to stay open as long as it did.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Jan 02, 2024 - Comments (2)
Category: Fairs, Amusement Parks, and Resorts, 1990s, Asia

The bank robber who waited

June 1997: When a bankrobber demanded money, the teller told him to wait while she got it. She kept him waiting for 20 minutes, until the police arrived.

I'm pretty sure banks now instruct their employees to give robbers the money, rather than trying anything like this.

Miami Herald - June 10, 1997

Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 05, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Stupid Criminals, 1990s

Honeymoon attack

Aug 1993: Frannie Snite was convicted of sneaking up behind her new husband as he sat watching the sunset during their honeymoon, then attacking him with a tire iron. Apparently she was hoping to get a life insurance payout. That's gotta be in the running for the worst honeymoon ever.

And yet, it seems like there must be more to the story. I don't think her husband (who survived the attack) ever identified her as his attacker. Her 2013 obituary doesn't mention any of this, nor her five-year prison sentence.

More info: Seattle Times

Lancaster New Era - Aug 18, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Sat Sep 09, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Crime, Wives, Marriage, 1990s

Bunny bandit

Brilliant disguise:

Police said a man who robbed a convenience store early Friday wore a white bunny head with the face cut out.

Ellwood City Ledger - Aug 28, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 31, 2023 - Comments (2)
Category: Stupid Criminals, 1990s

British Rail’s Train Safety Experiment

Jan 1993: In order to find out how close workers could safely stand by the tracks while the new high-speed trains were going by, British Rail announced it would conduct an unusual experiment. It would tether employees to wooden posts located around six feet from the tracks and then measure the force of the slipstream on them as the trains went by at 140 mph.

Although members of the public weren't invited to participate in the experiment, about 50 of them volunteered to be guinea pigs anyway.

Sunday London Telegraph - Jan 31, 1993



It was difficult to find out the results of the experiment, but after some digging I located a postscript printed in the Magazine of the Pennine Railway Society. The test never took place. Faced with widespread criticism, British Rail's Health and Safety Executive cancelled it.

Loco Notion
Barmy BR proposed to tether workers to trackside posts as high-speed trains thundered past at 140mph. Bosses wanted human guinea pigs to stand as close as 6ft 6in to the expresses to test the effect of their slipstream. Rail
union chief Jimmy Knapp branded the idea barmy and suggested BR use Transport Secretary John MacGregor instead.
The workers would have been attached to posts by special harnesses that would allow them to move to the side but not forward. They would have been asked for their reaction after the trains had roared past. The tests would have helped to determine the distances from trains at which staff could work in safety. They would have taken place between York and Darlington.
However the Health and Safety Executive banned the scheme. The tests have been postponed pending further discussions to see how BR could get the information another way.
One disgruntled railwayman described the scheme as harebrained and said he joined BR to drive a flipping engine, not to play flipping bondage games. However a number of civilians have volunteered to take part in the scheme, preferably dressed in leather and chained from head to toe.
The effect when someone stands in the slipstream of a high-speed train is likely to be they'd get sucked under it. If tied to a post perhaps it would suck their boots off, or maybe they'd go blue in the face.
The idea is on a par to that of abolishing the timetable to stop the trains running late.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Jul 03, 2023 - Comments (2)
Category: Experiments, Trains and Other Vehicles on Rails, Transportation, 1990s

Troll Barbie

Released in 1992. It was some kind of Barbie/troll doll combo. So, nothing to do with Barbie posting inflammatory comments on social media. Though, by coincidence, the first known use of 'troll', as an Internet activity, also occurred in 1992.

Posted By: Alex - Sat Jul 01, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: 1990s, Dolls and Stuffed Animals

Struck by falling dog

I posted a few days ago about a woman who was struck by a sheep that fell off a bridge. Here's a similar (but fatal) case of a motorcyclist hit by a dog that fell off a bridge.

So, while I knew that people being hit by falling humans is a recurring phenomenon, evidently so is people being hit by falling animals.

Rapid City Journal - July 18, 1993

Posted By: Alex - Tue Jun 27, 2023 - Comments (0)
Category: Accidents, Death, Dogs, 1990s

Snake As Tourniquet

I find only three instances of this useful and innovative technique in all my searching. But surely there must be more...?








Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 26, 2023 - Comments (6)
Category: Death, Hobbies and DIY, Medicine, Reptiles, Snakes, Worms and Other Slithery Things, 1950s, 1990s

Jello craving saves man’s life

The lesson here is to not hold back if you've got a craving for a snack. That snack may save your life!

Daily Oklahoman - Feb 27, 1994

Posted By: Alex - Sat Jun 24, 2023 - Comments (1)
Category: Accidents, Jello, 1990s

The Reserved Embrace Theory

A fringe theological theory, advanced by Rev. Robert Kirsch, holding that a Catholic priest could have sex without violating his vows as long as the sex was passionless. The church rejected his theory.

Albuquerque Journal - Nov 18, 1992 (click to enlarge)



Kirsch died in 2005. According to his obituary, the lawsuit described above never went to trial.

Posted By: Alex - Tue Jun 20, 2023 - Comments (2)
Category: Religion, 1990s, Sex

Page 1 of 22 pages  1 2 3 >  Last ›




weird universe thumbnail
Who We Are
Alex Boese
Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes.

Paul Di Filippo
Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1.

Contact Us
Monthly Archives
March 2024 •  February 2024 •  January 2024

December 2023 •  November 2023 •  October 2023 •  September 2023 •  August 2023 •  July 2023 •  June 2023 •  May 2023 •  April 2023 •  March 2023 •  February 2023 •  January 2023

December 2022 •  November 2022 •  October 2022 •  September 2022 •  August 2022 •  July 2022 •  June 2022 •  May 2022 •  April 2022 •  March 2022 •  February 2022 •  January 2022

December 2021 •  November 2021 •  October 2021 •  September 2021 •  August 2021 •  July 2021 •  June 2021 •  May 2021 •  April 2021 •  March 2021 •  February 2021 •  January 2021

December 2020 •  November 2020 •  October 2020 •  September 2020 •  August 2020 •  July 2020 •  June 2020 •  May 2020 •  April 2020 •  March 2020 •  February 2020 •  January 2020

December 2019 •  November 2019 •  October 2019 •  September 2019 •  August 2019 •  July 2019 •  June 2019 •  May 2019 •  April 2019 •  March 2019 •  February 2019 •  January 2019

December 2018 •  November 2018 •  October 2018 •  September 2018 •  August 2018 •  July 2018 •  June 2018 •  May 2018 •  April 2018 •  March 2018 •  February 2018 •  January 2018

December 2017 •  November 2017 •  October 2017 •  September 2017 •  August 2017 •  July 2017 •  June 2017 •  May 2017 •  April 2017 •  March 2017 •  February 2017 •  January 2017

December 2016 •  November 2016 •  October 2016 •  September 2016 •  August 2016 •  July 2016 •  June 2016 •  May 2016 •  April 2016 •  March 2016 •  February 2016 •  January 2016

December 2015 •  November 2015 •  October 2015 •  September 2015 •  August 2015 •  July 2015 •  June 2015 •  May 2015 •  April 2015 •  March 2015 •  February 2015 •  January 2015

December 2014 •  November 2014 •  October 2014 •  September 2014 •  August 2014 •  July 2014 •  June 2014 •  May 2014 •  April 2014 •  March 2014 •  February 2014 •  January 2014

December 2013 •  November 2013 •  October 2013 •  September 2013 •  August 2013 •  July 2013 •  June 2013 •  May 2013 •  April 2013 •  March 2013 •  February 2013 •  January 2013

December 2012 •  November 2012 •  October 2012 •  September 2012 •  August 2012 •  July 2012 •  June 2012 •  May 2012 •  April 2012 •  March 2012 •  February 2012 •  January 2012

December 2011 •  November 2011 •  October 2011 •  September 2011 •  August 2011 •  July 2011 •  June 2011 •  May 2011 •  April 2011 •  March 2011 •  February 2011 •  January 2011

December 2010 •  November 2010 •  October 2010 •  September 2010 •  August 2010 •  July 2010 •  June 2010 •  May 2010 •  April 2010 •  March 2010 •  February 2010 •  January 2010

December 2009 •  November 2009 •  October 2009 •  September 2009 •  August 2009 •  July 2009 •  June 2009 •  May 2009 •  April 2009 •  March 2009 •  February 2009 •  January 2009

December 2008 •  November 2008 •  October 2008 •  September 2008 •  August 2008 •  July 2008 •