Five rounds. Two strange stories each. Only one made the paper. Choose, then see the proof.
Five rounds of unusual stories from historical newspapers. Pick the real headline, then see the original clipping.
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The five historical items from this edition, with their newspaper proof. Play first if you want to guess.
A short report claimed a young French mechanic had made a bicycle that converted into a small monoplane, flown to 150 feet and completed trial flights without mishap. The mechanic is unnamed, and the report’s flight and sales claims are not independently verified here.
El Reno Daily Democrat · 1926-11-20 · p. 3
Open the original newspaper ↗The paper described the Prince of Wales’s gymnasium aboard HMS Repulse. It included a mechanical horse to substitute for his hunting rides. The gym was installed at his request when the ship was overhauled for his trip.
Oklahoma City Times · 1925-03-27 · p. 2
Open the original newspaper ↗A Herald editorial described a New York subway slot machine that spoke when someone inserted a slug: “Please use good coins only.” The article then imagined further uses for such machines. The speaking-machine anecdote is reported; those predictions are not established inventions.
Sapulpa Herald · 1929-06-17 · p. 2
Open the original newspaper ↗Raymond and Clarence Hegy built an airplane-shaped iceboat with a propeller powered by an old Metz motor. The reprinted Hartford report said it drew attention while skimming down Main Street. It ran on three runners and had no wings; they planned to use it on Pike Lake.
Kewaskum Statesman · 1926-01-16 · p. 5
Open the original newspaper ↗A Genoa dispatch described motor lifeboats on the new liner Conte Biancamano. The boats could be lowered in a few seconds and automatically freed themselves from the ship as soon as they touched water. The paper reported room for 2,850 people in the boats and a liner capacity, including crew, of 2,180.
Oklahoma City Times · 1925-11-16 · p. 1
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