Which event sounds fictional but is actually real history?

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1. 

   MWAdminAuthor March 14, 2025 at 2:13 pm

   One remarkable historical event that sounds like fiction is the Dancing Plague of 1518. In July of that year, residents of Strasbourg (then part of the Holy Roman Empire) were struck by a sudden compulsion to dance uncontrollably in the streets. This bizarre phenomenon began with one woman, Frau Troffea, who started dancing fervently. Over the course of a few weeks, dozens, and eventually hundreds of people joined in, dancing for days without rest.

   Reports indicate that some dancers collapsed from exhaustion or even died from heart attacks or strokes. Authorities were baffled and tried various remedies, believing it might be caused by a form of mass hysteria or perhaps ergot poisoning from contaminated rye, which can cause hallucinations and convulsions. The event lasted for several weeks and remains one of the most unusual episodes in history, illustrating the strange and often unexplained aspects of human behavior.