1

No blindfolded driving in Alabama

Image: Kirill Balobanov

As we said in the introduction, these situations are likely born out of real incidents. At some point, someone must have driven blindfolded in Alabama , and the consequences were serious enough for state legislators to enact a law preventing it from happening again—a reasonable measure if you ask us.

2

No driving with dogs on the roof

Image: Tadeusz Lakota

As terrible and infuriating as it may sound, there is a very real possibility that someone drove with a poor dog tied to the roof of a car in chilly Alaska . Thankfully, local legislators passed a law prohibiting this dangerous and cruel situation.

3

No reverse driving

Image: Hunter Wiseley

This law makes no sense, and we bet—or at the very least hope—that it’s no longer enforced. Otherwise, how would Arizonans back out of their driveways without breaking the law?

Believe it or not, traveling in reverse on an Arizona road is illegal .

4

No horn honking at the sandwich joint

Image: Simon Daoudi

While it can certainly be an annoyance to hear cars honking when you’re trying to enjoy a Croque Monsieur and a diet soda at your favorite spot, most of us wouldn’t expect a state law banning it.

But in Arkansas, it’s illegal to honk a horn after 9 p.m. outside an establishment that serves sandwiches and cold drinks .

5

No jumping out of the car at 65 mph or faster

Image: Mathias Arlund

This one seems more like common sense than anything else, but apparently, enough people attempted this stunt in California for state legislators to pass a law making it illegal to leap out of a moving vehicle traveling at 65 mph or faster .

6

No black vehicles on a Sunday

Image: Steven Erixon

But what if your car is black and you need to drive somewhere? Hopefully, this law is no longer enforced in Colorado. Yet, for some reason lost to time, it’s illegal in this state to drive a black vehicle on a Sunday .

7

No speeding tickets for politicians

Image: Sumeet Kapadia

This one is downright infuriating. In Georgia, it’s illegal to ticket a member of the assembly for speeding while the assembly is in session. It should come as no surprise—after all, those same assembly members are the ones responsible for this law.

8

No driving with a gorilla in the backseat

Image: MARIOLA GROBELSKA

People in Massachusetts don’t need a law to tell them that driving around with a living gorilla in the backseat is a bad idea—that’s just common sense. But just in case, there’s a state law explicitly prohibiting it.

9

No camel-ridding on the highway

Image: Oskars Sylwan

Camels are great for desert travel but not so much for highway traffic. And no US state is more certain of this than Nevada, where it’s illegal to ride a camel on a highway .

10

No driving around the town square

Image: Felix Mittermeier

Driving around the town square can be a popular Saturday night activity in some towns, but someone in Ohio must have taken it to the extreme. In this state, it’s illegal to circle the town square more than 100 times in a row .

11

No reading comic books while driving

Image: Erik Mclean

For public safety alone, reading while driving should be illegal everywhere. But in Oklahoma, it’s specifically illegal to read comic books while driving —not newspapers, not hardcover novels—just comic books.

12

No driving with intoxicated passengers

Image: Jamie Street

Driving under the influence of alcohol is highly dangerous and, fortunately, banned almost everywhere. But in Texas, legislators have taken it a step further, making it illegal to drive if any alcohol is within arm’s reach of the driver —including if that alcohol is in another person’s bloodstream.

1

Fire tornado, California

Image: Zoltan Tasi

A tornado is bad enough, but imagine a fire tornado—you’re entering a whole new level of catastrophe. This is exactly what occurred in 2018 near Redding, California, during the infamous Carr Fire event.

Intense wildfires almost always produce fire devils, fire whirls, and occasionally stronger vortexes resembling the tornadoes associated with severe thunderstorms. Fire tornadoes typically range from 100 to 1,000 feet in diameter , with rotational velocities of up to 90 mph. However, the Redding fire tornado was fueled by winds reaching an astonishing 143 mph .

2

Freak March heat wave, Midwest region

Image: Nadiia Ploshchenko 🇺🇦

High temperatures can be expected in the Midwest region but never for such an extended period during the winter season as occurred from March 14 to March 22, 2012 . Over these eight days, some areas experienced average daily temperatures that were 40°F above normal. Remarkably, even the daily low temperatures in certain locations exceeded the record highs for those dates.

On March 21, the temperature reached 90°F in Lapeer, Michigan—a stark contrast to the subzero temperatures that have often occurred in these same locations at this time of year, when snowpack is typically at its deepest.

3

Two F5 tornadoes at the same place on the same day

Image: Greg Johnson

F5 tornadoes are exceedingly rare. Only a handful of tornadoes of this intensity have been documented outside of the United States. Since 1900, just 104 of these monsters have been recorded anywhere on Earth.

This rarity makes the event on April 3, 1974 , near the town of Tanner, Alabama , even more astounding. Located about 20 miles west of Huntsville, Tanner was struck by two F5 tornadoes within just 30 minutes of each other.

4

The Dust Bowl

Image: Samantha Sheppard

The Dust Bowl, one of the most devastating weather events in American history, has a shared responsibility between nature and human interaction . In the 1930s, poor land management practices and unsustainable farming methods led to prolonged drought and massive dust storms in the Great Plains.

This ecological disaster forced thousands of families to abandon their homes, triggering a mass migration to find better opportunities elsewhere. As the Great Depression intensified, drought and decades of overfarming dried out the topsoil, leading to a series of dust storms from 1933 to 1939 that carried the soil eastward.

5

The Galveston Hurricane

Image: NASA

In 1900 a category 4 hurricane struck the city of Galveston, Texas , with devastating force, claiming an estimated 8,000 lives and causing widespread destruction. This tragedy prompted the construction of a seawall and the implementation of hurricane preparedness measures that continue to shape coastal planning and response strategies that are still in place today.

6

A summer-less year

Image: Todd Diemer

The combination of a tepid spring with late snows and an exceptionally cold summer, featuring frosts in July and August made 1816 a year without a proper summer . On July 4th, the high temperature in Savannah, Georgia, was only 46°F. Finally, there was a drought during early fall that culminated in a killing frost well before the end of September.

The apparent cause of this unusually cold summer was the eruption of the Tambora Volcano, half a world away in Indonesia, in 1815. A tremendous cloud of fine ash and dust was ejected into the stratosphere, where it remained for an extended period, significantly reducing the sun's heat and light and causing a cooldown throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

7

The darkest day

Image: Ganapathy Kumar

On May 19th, 1780, an extremely dark overcast mixed with thick smoke from nearby forest fires made the day feel like night for the people of New England. The mysterious event was first reported at dawn over southwest Vermont, and it slowly traveled southeastward during the day. The last place to report this strange weather was Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, in the late afternoon.

In Boston, the atmosphere darkened noticeably after 9 a.m., to the point where reading newsprint outdoors became difficult. Many New Englanders believed that Judgment Day was at hand.

8

Animal rain

Image: Sanket Rajurkar

It should come as no surprise that the number of people who have heard of raining animals is much higher than the number of those who have actually experienced this phenomenon. After all, these types of rain are highly unusual.

The first documented instance of raining frogs was in Kansas City in 1873. In Texarkana, Texas, another strange form of precipitation occurred—this time in the form of fish falling from the sky. According to science, animal rain occurs when small aquatic animals like frogs, crabs, and small fish are swept up in waterspouts or drafts that occur on the surface of the earth. They are then rained down along with the rain.

9

Technicolor solar storm

Image: Luke Tanis

Unlike the northern lights, which usually appear as blue and green swirls in the sky, solar storms are so intense that they create a kaleidoscope of colors and can also be seen in regions where people have never witnessed them before.

In 2012, one of these events produced a stunning aurora over Crater Lake in Oregon. Scientists believed that two clouds of glowing particles were flung toward Earth by sunspots larger than our planet.

10

Super refraction

Image: Matthijs van Schuppen

Imagine waking up and being able to see much farther than you ever could before. That is exactly what happened in 2013 to the people of northern Ohio. They were stunned to find that they could see the Canadian shoreline, which is not at all possible under normal circumstances.

Locals were able to see Canada because of a rare natural phenomenon known as super refraction, where rays of light are bent downward toward the surface of the Earth. This bending occurs because of changes in air density. During this light-bending, distant objects that are usually hidden from view become visible, as they are reflected in the rays of light.

1

Coca-Cola

Image: Bradley Pisney

A beverage so iconic that it inspired an entire genre of soft drinks named after it, Coca-Cola had its start in 1886 when it was created by pharmacist John Pemberton, who initially intended to market it as a temperance drink and medicinal tonic.

A blend of coca leaves and kola nuts (a source of caffeine), the iconic soft drink became a sensation, and soon Pemberton sold the ownership rights to Asa Griggs Candler, a businessman who transformed the Coca-Cola brand into a global powerhouse. While the ingredients have been changed a few times since its inception, the current formula remains a closely guarded trade secret, fueling much speculation and numerous attempts to uncover it.

2

Pepsi

Image: Oleg Ivanov

Developed in 1898 by pharmacist Caleb Bradham—and originally named "Brad's Drink"—Pepsi was initially conceived as a digestive aid. Its name is derived from pepsin, a digestive enzyme produced by the body, though pepsin was never actually included in the drink's formula.

Despite nearly going bankrupt in the early 1920s, Pepsi gained popularity during the Great Depression, even briefly outpacing Coca-Cola, thanks to clever marketing that appealed to budget-conscious consumers. This kickstarted a fierce rivalry, leading to bold marketing stunts, including an unlikely deal with the Soviet Union, making Pepsi the first Western product sanctioned for sale there.

3

Dr Pepper

Image: Yana Smetana

Another soft drink originally conceived in a pharmacist's lab, Dr Pepper actually predates both Coke and Pepsi. Launched in 1885 in Waco, Texas, its unique flavor sets it apart from most competitors. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has categorized Dr Pepper, much like Coca-Cola, as its own distinct type of beverage: "pepper soda."

The origin of its name is disputed. Originally, people would simply order a "Waco" at soda fountains. While some speculate the name comes from Charles T. Pepper, a doctor who gave Wade Morrison his first job (or, according to another version, gave him permission to marry his daughter), it was more likely than not a creative marketing decision, as using "Dr." in product names was a common way to suggest health benefits.

4

7UP

Image: Julian Rösner

7UP, created in 1929 by Charles Leiper Grigg, was originally marketed as "Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda," as it contained lithium citrate (a mood-stabilizing drug) among its ingredients. While lithium was removed in 1948, the drink's refreshing lemon-lime flavor remained, having already become a household favorite.

The soft drink, however, didn’t quite find its market niche until it launched the "Uncola" marketing campaign in the 1970s, which positioned the soda as a distinct alternative to colas, boosting its popularity. The origin of the name 7UP remains a mystery, with speculation that it refers to the original 7-ounce bottles or the drink’s initial seven ingredients.

5

Sprite

Image: Gift Habeshaw

Introduced by Coca-Cola in 1961 to compete with 7UP, Sprite quickly became one of the leading lemon-lime sodas on the market. Interestingly, this popular soft drink didn’t originate in America but in West Germany in 1959, where it was launched as "Fanta Klare Zitrone" ("Fanta Clear Lemon" in English).

In the ‘80s, Sprite leveraged its appeal to younger generations through bold advertising campaigns and endorsements from popular musicians. Today, the brand has expanded into various flavors, including cranberry, cherry, grape, orange, tropical, ginger, and vanilla, among others.

6

Mountain Dew

Image: Shane

Mountain Dew was originally created in the 1940s by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman as a mixer for whiskey. The name "Mountain Dew" was a colloquial term for homemade liquor, making it fitting for the soda’s Appalachian roots. However, the drink only took on its citrus-flavored, energizing modern form after being acquired by the Tip Corporation in 1961.

It remains one of the most caffeinated sodas on the market, containing 54 mg of caffeine per 12-ounce can—nearly double that of Coca-Cola. This is likely what draws many soda drinkers to this flavor, as the high sugar and caffeine content can give a short-term boost of energy.

7

RC Cola

Image: Brooke Cagle

Founded in 1905 by Claud A. Hatcher, Royal Crown Cola (RC Cola) was originally created as a direct competitor to Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The soft drink was born after the Hatcher family, who were grocery store owners, could not get a discount for purchasing large volumes of Coca-Cola syrup from local distributors. Frustrated, they vowed to create their own alternative.

Despite never achieving the same market dominance as Coke or Pepsi, RC Cola soon gained a loyal following, especially in Southern states. Unlike its rivals, RC offered a slightly stronger cola flavor, which many found refreshing compared to the sweeter taste of Coke. RC Cola also innovated with the first aluminum can for sodas and was one of the first companies to produce diet sodas, such as Diet Rite.

8

Fanta

Image: Renato Trentin

Did you know that Fanta was born in Germany during World War II, of all places? After local Coca-Cola plants could no longer import syrup due to trade embargos, German businessman Max Keith created a new soda using available ingredients—which were mostly fruit scraps and whey.

Fanta quickly became a wartime favorite in Germany. After the war, Coca-Cola regained control of the plant, formula, and trademarks, introducing Fanta to the U.S. in 1955. It rapidly gained popularity as a fun, fruit-flavored alternative to traditional sodas. While Fanta's orange flavor remains its best seller, the brand now offers over 90 flavors worldwide.

9

A&W Root Beer

Image: David Lusvardi

A&W Root Beer was introduced in 1919 by Roy Allen, who first started selling it at a parade honoring returning World War I veterans. Its creamy texture and rich flavor quickly made A&W Root Beer a favorite, especially when paired with vanilla ice cream to create the now-iconic root beer float.

By 1922, Roy Allen partnered with fellow entrepreneur Frank Wright, and A&W became a franchised brand, launching one of the first fast-food chains in America that same year. Despite struggling with labor shortages and sugar rationing during World War II, the company endured and remains one of the most iconic root beer brands in America to this day.

10

Sunkist

Image: The Pop'd Shop

Sunkist, launched in 1979 by the Sunkist Growers cooperative, was introduced to tap into the American love for citrus-flavored sodas. Known and loved for its bold orange flavor, Sunkist was the first major orange soda to include caffeine in its formula, setting it apart from competitors like Crush and Fanta.

Most importantly, Sunkist's success was greatly boosted by its association with the California citrus industry. Its marketing campaigns, including the "Taste the Sun" slogan, further linked the brand to sunny, vibrant outdoor activities, making it one of the top-selling orange sodas in the U.S. for decades.