When Pigs, Emus, and Beer Started International Incidents

Setup: In 1814, a giant wooden vat at a London brewery burst, releasing roughly 1.5 million liters of beer into the surrounding streets. The wave demolished buildings and killed eight people.

Escalation: The brewery was taken to court by the families of the victims and owners of damaged property. The lawyers had to discuss whether a brewery could be held responsible for a sudden wall of stout behaving like a natural disaster.

Punchline: The court ruled the collapse an unavoidable accident, effectively classifying the beer flood as an act of God. The Almighty was not asked to pay for the cleanup.

Setup: In 1932, Australia sent soldiers armed with Lewis guns to deal with an estimated 20,000 emus damaging wheat fields. The operation was treated as a practical agricultural measure, though it had the general shape of a war and the enemy had feathers.

Escalation: The emus scattered into small groups, moved faster than expected, and proved remarkably difficult to hit. Soldiers reportedly used trucks, machine guns, and several thousand rounds of ammunition while the birds continued doing what they had been doing before the army arrived, namely walking around and eating wheat.

Punchline: The military campaign was abandoned after several weeks. The emus remained at large, having outlasted a government operation without issuing a statement.

Setup: In 1859, an American settler on San Juan Island shot a pig that had wandered into his garden. The pig belonged to the British Hudson’s Bay Company, which threatened legal action.

Escalation: The United States and Britain each sent troops to the island, creating a tense standoff over sovereignty, livestock, and the boundaries of imperial patience. Soldiers occupied the island for years without firing on one another.

Punchline: The dispute lasted about twelve years and produced no human casualties. The pig was the only combatant to die.

This Week in Weird History: Beer, emus, and one unfortunate pig all managed to create more international paperwork than some actual wars.