Ghost Caught on Camera, A Whale Saves a Train & Mystery Wild Man

Join Edge of Wonder for the next installment of the Weirdest News in History!

5. This miraculous survival story is a whale of a tale … literally.

4. A visit to an ancient castle wouldn’t be complete without photos—or a ghostly image caught in the process.

3. Are gargoyles real? A dog finds the body of a mysterious creature nobody can explain.

2. Heartwarming, funny, and uplifting Valentine’s Day tales make for a few bonus Weirdest News in History.

1. An 1890 newspaper reported: “All efforts to hunt it to its haunts have so far proved in vain.” What strange creature did Maywood residents see?

Spoilers Below:

A train in the Netherlands was traveling on an elevated track when it smashed through the end of the rail. Instead of plunging 30 feet down and killing the train operator, though, something miraculous happened: The train was caught by a massive, 20-year-old statue of a whale’s tale. Even more bizarrely, it had been placed in that location originally as a kind of visual pun at the “tail” of the metro line. Hear the details of how perilous the crash could’ve been and the impossible series of events that transpired.

In 2009, Christopher Aitchison visited the Tantallon Castle, the crumbling site of a 1651 battle. What do tourists do at an ancient castle but take pictures, of course! Christopher didn’t expect to snap the portrait of a real-life ghost, complete with old fashioned clothing. Decide for yourself what he caught in the picture.

A mystery creature washed ashore, caught by a dog who dragged it onto land. Ontario’s First Nations people reportedly called it the “Ugly One,” but judge for yourself. Is it just a mask? A tiny cryptid? A boar-lion-pig hybrid? Vote in your comments on what this cryptid’s name should be.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Reader’s Digest put out hilarious Valentine’s Day stories to warm people’s hearts. Ben reads stories about a sneaky World War II-era wedding, an attempt to woo an English teacher for better grades, and a Mrs. Doubtfire scenario in the making.

In 1890, a “Wild Man” was spotted in Maywood, Illinois. It growled, had a heavy brow, matted hair, huge arms, and a head set low down on its chest. At first, it was suspected to be a homeless man, but others think it was a creature like Bigfoot, or one of the Blemmyes (headless men) seen on old maps. Think the Piri Reis map was just depicting fictional creatures? You’ll think again after hearing this Weirdest News in History.