History Main / HistoricalHilarity

* ''VideoGame/{{Scribblenauts}}'' features George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as summonable characters, despite its statement that proper names are not valid words.

-> '''Pen'''/'''[[AdaptationNameChange Finn]]:''' What's going on? A-A-UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln?\\

** Speaking of Daydreams, "Mountain of Madness" sees Homer and Mr. Burns at each other's throat in the avalanche-buried cabin. After building snowmen, Homer hallucinates a cohort of snowmen behind Burns, dressed as German soldiers from World War I. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Then this exchange:]]

Dexter and Mandark bring the heads on Mt. Rushmore to life. They then pit Lincoln and UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington against one another.

* ''ninjaComicBook/{{Asterix}}'': There are many gags about the Roman Empire. One, for instance, is Brutus claiming: "I would never betray Caesar!"

* ComicBook/{{Asterix}}: There are many gags about the Roman Empire. One, for instance, is Brutus claiming: "I would never betray Caesar!"

* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Creator/BenjaminFranklin's clone was a major character for several early arcs and quite foul-mouthed, until he ran afoul of MentorOccupationalHazard. When the ZombieApocalypse happens, McNinja can't bring himself to kill the Zombie Ben Franklin he runs into, until he realizes it's the ''original'' Franklin not his deceased mentor the clone.

* From ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy:''
-->'''Peter Griffin:''' Oh yeah? Well everyone said the same thing about UsefulNotes/BenjaminDisraeli!\\
''[FlashbackCut to Benjamin Disraeli writing at his desk. He then turns to the audience.]''\\

* Also from ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': the conclusion of the episode ''North by North Quahog'' takes place atop Mt. Rushmore, and the heads have the following exchange at the end-
-->'''George Washington Head:''' Hey Jefferson, check it out. Chick getting nailed on my head.
-->'''Thomas Jefferson Head:''' Sweet. Hey Teddy, pass the word down to Frankenstein over there.
-->'''Abraham Lincoln Head:''' [sarcastically] Oh ha ha.

* ''Anime/FlintTheTimeDetective'', Flint is assigned as a Time Detective to travel back in time to retrieve creatures called [[{{Mons}} Time Shifter]] who are partially responsible for several historic moments in history.

[[folder: Anime ]]

* Creator/FritzLang serves as Ed's [[TheMentor mentor]] in ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist: [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa The Conquerer of Shamballa]]'', as our world's counterpart to Fuhrer King Bradley. Ed has no idea who he even is until about halfway through the film and even then he's not particularly impressed with him.

[[folder: Comic Books ]]

* ComicBook/SuskeEnWiske: The cast uses TimeTravel a lot, which allows for several gags about historical time periods and characters.

* ComicBook/{{Asterix}}: There are many gags about the Roman Empire. One, for instance, is Brutus claiming: "I would never betray Caesar!"

[[folder: Film ]]

* Probably the most triumphant example for people of a certain age: ''Film/BillAndTedsExcellentAdventure''.
* In ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', the police station has a corkboard with pictures of people suspected to be Batman. Including UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln.[[note]]The other two are Music/ElvisPresley and Sasquatch (which is a bit of FridgeBrilliance, because Batman was also humorously compared to Bigfoot in the 1989 Creator/TimBurton film). [[/note]]
* There's a (mostly) gratuitous scene toward the end of ''Film/AMillionWaysToDieInTheWest'' that has the protagonist [[IAteWhat downing an entire ladle of hallucinogenic Indian liquor]] and [[MyLifeFlashedBeforeMyEyes seeing his entire life up to that point "flash before his eyes" in an increasingly surreal manner]]. One memory that sticks out is the time he was in grade school and Abraham Lincoln supposedly came to speak to his class...only the speaker is obviously ''not'' Lincoln, just an impostor in a stovepipe hat and a fake beard who doesn't know what the hell he's talking about (played by Creator/GilbertGottfried in his standard NoIndoorVoice style).

* Abraham Lincoln makes a brief cameo at the end of ''Film/HappyGilmore'' in a manner parodying the end of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''.
* ''Film/TheNutcrackerIn3D'' has no better excuse than this trope for converting the original story's Uncle Drosselmeyer into UsefulNotes/AlbertEinstein.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

* ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'''s ''Film/{{Soultaker}}'' Episode had UsefulNotes/MartinVanBuren as an image from the pod attached to the SOL to hide [[spoiler:Joel's cameo appearance.]]

-->'''Owen''': You've read [[Creator/MarcelProust Proust]]?
-->'''Jack''': Yeah. Well, no. We dated for a while. He was really immature.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' is probably the live-action TV king of this trope, as the Doctor namedrops historical figures only slightly more often than they actually appear on screen. Hell, other people are even doing it for him now:
-->'''Liz Ten:''' The Doctor, old drinking buddy of Henry Twelve. Tea and scones with Liz Two... [[UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria Vicky]] was a bit on the fence about you, wasn't she? Knighted and exiled you on the same day! And so much for UsefulNotes/ElizabethI, you bad, bad boy!

-->'''Rory:''' Right. Putting Hitler in the cupboard.
* Apparently [[IJustWantToBeBadass wannabe badass]] [[Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace Dean Moriarty]] likes having [[UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln President one-six]] as his wingman when he's breaking up with Alex in his dreams. ItMakesSenseInContext.
* The ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode "Lemons" has the Red Dwarf crew meet UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}. [[spoiler:But not ''the'' Jesus. They do, however, meet him at the end of the episode. Along with Judas.]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Literature/CompleteWorldKnowledge'' series has a lot of fun combining this trope with LittleKnownFacts.
** ''Literature/TheAreasOfMyExpertise'' has a list of U.S. presidents to have hooks for hands, and Yale University was founded as an elaborate prank. Also, UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison kept thousands and thousands of crickets as pets and colonial Oregon (state motto: "In Oregon, where the shadows lie") was a cross between {{Mordor}} and The Nothing from ''Literature/TheNeverendingStory''.
** ''Literature/MoreInformationThanYouRequire'', which has a particular thematic emphasis on presidents, plays this trope for all its worth. Notably, UsefulNotes/TheodoreRoosevelt is an internet MemeticBadass, George Washington was history's greatest [[TheStoner drug addict]], Thomas Jefferson was in league with the molemen (and Sally Hemmings ''was'' a transgender moleman), most of UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln's presidency was actually faked by Edwin Booth until the real Lincoln was tragically murdered by Booth's [[CainAndAbel vengeful brother John Wilkes]], Aaron Burr was an EvilOverlord [[Franchise/StarWars chewbacca]], and John Quincy Adams was [[ThingsThatGoBumpInTheNight the boogieman]]. And let's not forget UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte's [[MoonBase lunar colonies]] or the picture of [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Sasquatch]] labelled Creator/JDSalinger.
** Relatively rare in ''Literature/ThatIsAll'', due to its emphasis on 2012 [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt apocalypse fantasies]] and contemporary pop cultural figures, but we do get a history lesson on the evolution of sports mascots (the Hartford Whalers used to have an EldritchAbomination) and the superpowers of historical robber barons.
* The children's book ''Benjamin Franklin Lives!'' supposes that the Revolutionary figure never died but was instead put into suspended animation by an AncientConspiracy called [[ShownTheirWork the Modern Order of Prometheus]]. He [[RipVanWinkle wakes up]] [[CultureClash in modern times]] just in time to help the kid protagonist with his science fair project. Unfortunately something went wrong with the reanimation process (he is powered by electricity, [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum somehow]]), and [[HilarityEnsues every time he either runs low on energy or gets overcharged]], he becomes a zombie or [[PopCulturalOsmosis he turns into a rampaging monster]]...

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Music ]]

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[[folder: Web Comic ]]

* ''Webcomic/CaseyAndAndy'' had a RunningGag involving Andy's causality-defying feud with Grover Cleveland.
** Which eventually proved central to the grand finale.

* ''WebComic/MSPaintMasterpieces'', during a filler explaining TimeTravel, shows a destroyed alternate timeline labeled only as "Lincoln Went [[Anime/DragonBallZ Super Saiyan]]", and then references it again in a later filler.
* In ''[[http://www.monstercommute.com/ Monster Commute]]'' the land of Monstru is ruled over by Abe Lincolnstein, the reassembled, reanimated and quite unsane (yes, unsane) form of the former president,who resides in Lincoln City, a massive complex from which he rules with an tyrannical iron fist.
* In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Creator/BenjaminFranklin's clone was a major character for several early arcs and quite foul-mouthed, until he ran afoul of MentorOccupationalHazard. When the ZombieApocalypse happens, McNinja can't bring himself to kill the Zombie Ben Franklin he runs into, until he realizes it's the ''original'' Franklin not his deceased mentor the clone.
** Dr McNinja goes to Dracula's moon base at one point as well, and there runs into Creator/BruceLee, Music/ElvisPresley, and Hitler, among others. Turns out Dracula has been abducting "outstanding flavors" over the years.

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

** Speaking of Daydreams, "Mountain of Madness" sees Homer and Mr. Burns at each other's throat in the avalanche-buried cabin. After building snowmen, Homer hallucinates a cohort of snowmen behind Burns, dressed as German soldiers from World War I. [[CrowningMomentofFunny Then this exchange:]]

'''UsefulNotes/BenjaminDisraeli:''' You don't even know who I am!

** ''Literature/TheAreasOfMyExpertise'' has a list of U.S. presidents to have hooks for hands, and Yale University was founded as an elaborate prank. Also, UsefulNotes/ThomasEdison kept thousands and thousands of crickets as pets and colonial Oregon (state motto: "In Oregon, where the shadows lie") was a cross between {{Mordor}} and The Nothing from ''TheNeverendingStory''.

* Creator/FritzLang serves as Ed's [[TheMentor mentor]] in ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist: [[TheMovie The Conquerer of Shamballa]]''. Ed has no idea who he even is until about halfway through the film and even then he's not particularly impressed with him.

->'''Pen'''/'''[[AdaptationNameChange Finn]]:''' What's going on? A-A-UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln?\\

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'', Dexter and Mandark bring the heads on Mt. Rushmore to life. They then pit Lincoln and UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington against one another.

* Meatwad from ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'' can transform into a shape described as Samurai Lincoln (though he claims it's Wayne Gretzky)

* The ''Series/RedDwarf'' episode "Lemons" has the Red Dwarf crew meet {{Jesus}}. [[spoiler:But not ''the'' Jesus. They do, however, meet him at the end of the episode. Along with Judas.]]

[[folder: Literature ]]

* In ''Film/TheLegoMovie'', Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra, and Michelangelo all appear in LEGO form at the Master Builders' meeting. The latter has another layer of hilarity added on, as the name Michelangelo is called twice: the first time it's the sculptor, and the second time, it's [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles the Ninja Turtle]].

** [[HilariousInHindsight Maybe Chairman Mao got the hint]] and wanted to work with JohnLennon?

* ''WebComic/MSPaintMasterpieces'', during a filler explaining TimeTravel, shows a destroyed alternate timeline labeled only as "Lincoln Went [[DragonBallZ Super Saiyan]]", and then references it again in a later filler.

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[[AC:{{Music}}]]
* Music/TheyMightBeGiants

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[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* HistoricalHilarity is the entire premise of ''CloneHigh''. Nothing better than a LoveTriangle of Abe Lincoln, UsefulNotes/JoanOfArc, and UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII.

-->'''Peter Griffin:''' Oh yeah? Well everyone said the same thing about Creator/BenjaminDisraeli!\\

'''Creator/BenjaminDisraeli:''' You don't even know who I am!