“The Dancing Plague of 1518”-

In 1518, Strasbourg, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, experienced one of the most bizarre events in history known as the Dancing Plague. It began when a woman named Frau Troffea started dancing uncontrollably in the streets. Within a week, dozens more joined her, and the number of dancers swelled to around 400 people. They danced for days without rest, leading to exhaustion, injuries, and even death for some participants.

The authorities thought the dancing might be from hysteria or a curse. They set up stages and played music, hoping it would end the dancing by tiring everyone out, but it just got worse. Some think it was from poisoning or mass psychology. Eventually, after weeks, the dancing stopped, but no one knows why.