Most Ironic moments in History (Pre-1900)

[GameBawesome]

When reading history, what was a historical moment (pre-1900), that made you think “Ironic”? It can range from

1.Ironic Hypocris
2. Ironic Deaths
3. Ironic Mistakes
4. Ironic Events

 

[nathanael1234]

The building that held the patent to the fire hydrant burned down in 1836. So we don’t know who invented the fire hydrant.

 

[nathanael1234]

Union general John Sedgwick was shot moments after he said “they can’t hit an elephant at this distance.” He was shot by the confederates moments later.

 

[Reflection]

Liberia was founded by freed black slaves from the US, who then proceeded to enslave the local population in Africa and also enforced a rigid racial caste system.

 

[nathanael1234]

Gunpowder was accidentally created in China by alchemists who were trying to create a way to be immortal.

 

[nathanael1234]

The creator of the flying glider who declared it as the safest way to travel died in a flying glider accident.

 

[Neal Caffrey]

In the South American revolutionary wars a Spanish general who was a freemason was besieged by a far larger force but he lucky enough to find a revolutionary general that was a freemason, unluckily enough the revolutionary general was a staunch republican and so he refused to help him and eventually was executed by him.

 

[nathanael1234]

The Battle of New Orleans happened after the war of 1812 had officially ended. So that battle was for nothing.

 

[Mr_Fanboy]

The Battle of New Orleans happened after the war of 1812 had officially ended. So that battle was for nothing.

Eh, I think that there was something to Jackson's assessment of the stakes of the battle...

Near the end of Jackson's presidency, a Congressman asked Jackson whether there was a point to the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson replied, “If General Pakenham and his 10,000 matchless veterans could have annihilated my little army, he would have captured New Orleans and sentried all the contiguous territory, though technically the war was over. Great Britain would have immediately abrogated the Treaty of Ghent and would have ignored Jefferson’s transaction with Napoleon.” [64]

 

[GauchoBadger]

Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was once a fervent Jacobin during the revolution in France. He had many tattoos, including one that read "Long Live the Republic", and allegedly another on his chest that read "Death to Kings".
Assuming the latter one is not a mere urban legend, then it did fulfill a prophecy given that a certain King of Sweden would eventually die on his bed one day in 1844.

 

[AltoRegnant]

The man who wrote "all men are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights" owned slaves.

And that the most famous rivalry in western Europe came about as a result of an attempt to unify the nations. (Militaryily and under force of arms but still)

 

[Grey Wolf]

The creator of the flying glider who declared it as the safest way to travel died in a flying glider accident.

Lilienthal?

 

[nathanael1234]

Lilienthal?

Yes

 

[nathanael1234]

Horatio Nelson who is considered one of the greatest admirals in maritime history suffered from chronic seasickness.

 

[nathanael1234]

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone but he could not speak to his wife or mother on the phone as they were both deaf.

 

[Mort the Reaper]

A man who only achieved the power he did because of a revolution that overthrew his country's monarchy became his country's monarch to widespread acclaim.

 

[ennobee]

Horatio Nelson who is considered one of the greatest admirals in maritime history suffered from chronic seasickness.

So did Chester Nimitz. Famously in the 1920's this caused him to be passed over for command of a cruiser to be made captain of a submarine instead.

 

[nathanael1234]

The only losing basketball coach in the university of Kansas history is James Naismith who invented the sport in 1891.

 

[Mort the Reaper]

Andrew Jackson, a man who distrusted paper currency, ended up on the $20 bill.

 

[GameBawesome]

Andrew Jackson, a man who distrusted paper currency, ended up on the $20 bill.

Thank you for reviving my thread.

Anyway, to add to this thread.

All nations of the Eight-Nations Alliance during the Boxer Rebellion would fight each literally a decade later