Situation puzzles inspired by real events

King George IV was born in 1763 and ruled England from 1820 to 1830 when he died. He wasn’t an outstanding ruler but is known as a footwear trendsetter. His shoes were fundamentally different from those worn by his contemporaries. Everyone liked this innovation so much that today it’s a common practice, which can’t be said about those times. What kind of innovation is it?

The man was afraid to go home because the man in the mask was there.

Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?

They had to throw away plenty of their valuables, but it didn’t made them upset. What happened?

At one time, the following warning notices appeared on one of the main squares of Prague, “Attention! Beware of pickpockets!” The local police knew that there really were a lot of pickpockets here, but they actively tore these notices down. Why?

A man had lunch at the restaurant, and the waiter brought him his bill. He wrote out a check for the required amount but suddenly turned it over and wrote a few words on the reverse side of the check as congratulations to the restaurant owner. What for?

The German police was totally confused. Over the course of 15 years, the same person had been stealing, killing, and driving away. By 2008, they had spent 14 thousand working hours and over 15 million euros to find the criminal but failed. How did it happen? This is a true story.

In the 1940s, a real football game in Brazil ended with an unusual score of 0.5 - 0. What happened?

Beulah died in the Appalachians, while Craig died at sea. Everyone was much happier with Craig's death. How come?

Bill always wore a silk scarf to work, whatever the weather. What’s his job, and why does he need this scarf?

A company produced knives for peeling potatoes. The manufacturers wanted to increase sales of their products and decided: if the knives disappear more often in homes, then housewives will buy new ones. How did they embody their idea?

One day Mark hid his watch. What for?