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Australia once fought emus with machine guns.

The emus won.

Delva is true history like that, swipe after swipe. Wild facts and daily trivia, free on iPhone.

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9:41●●●
Culture
Cadaver Synod
The corpse was found guilty

They put a dead pope on trial and declared his papacy null.

897Rome
9:41●●●
Society
Dancing plague of 1518
A lone dancer sparked it

One woman’s street dance drew over 30 people in days.

1518Alsace
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Wars
Emu War
Emus dodge machine guns

2,500 rounds in six days, with no certain kill count.

1932Australia

One more.

Up and down moves between stories. Left and right takes you deeper: chapters, quotes, timelines, the fact you’ll repeat at dinner. Every story leads to the next.

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Culture · 897
Cadaver Synod

They put a dead pope on trial and declared his papacy null.

RomeSwipe →
Chapter
A corpse in the dock

Nine months after his death, Pope Formosus was dug up, dressed in papal vestments and propped on a throne. A deacon answered for him. Verdict: guilty. Three fingers were cut from his right hand and the body went into the Tiber.

2 of 5→
Timeline
  • 896Formosus dies in office
  • Jan 897His corpse is put on trial
  • Aug 897Stephen VI, who ordered it, is strangled
  • 898Trials of the dead are banned
3 of 5→

Myth or fact?

History trivia built from the stories you’ve read. A few seconds a round, a daily puzzle, and a streak worth keeping.

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9:41●●●
Myth or Fact3 / 5
“The Australian army lost the Emu War.”

In 1932, soldiers with machine guns were sent after 20,000 emus in Western Australia.

MythFact ✓
Called it! The army withdrew after a month. The emus kept the wheat.

Every story leads to the next.

From Pangaea to the Cold War, and the oddities in between.

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Questions

What is Delva?

True history stories you swipe, one card each. Swipe sideways into the ones that catch you: chapters, quotes, timelines. Then play quick trivia games built from what you read.

Is it free?

Yes. Delva is free to download and use.

Do I need an account?

No. Sign in with Apple, Google or email only if you want to keep your progress across devices.

Is it true?

Every story starts from its Wikipedia article and Wikidata record, and is checked against the source. Sources and image credits are on the Credits page. Spot an error? Email us and we’ll fix it.

Is there an Android version?

Not yet. Delva is iPhone-only for now.

Who makes it?

A two-person team in London, trading as Episteme Labs Ltd. Reach us at [email protected].