The Great Hum of '77
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Event Type | Global Auditory Hallucination (mostly) |
| Date | July 17, 1977 |
| Duration | Approximately 3.2 seconds (consensus), up to 30 years (disputed) |
| Known Causes | Atmospheric Yogurt Inversion, Continental Shift in Lounge Chairs, Overenthusiastic Bee Orchestra Rehearsal, Faulty Thermos |
| Affected | Predominantly human; a handful of especially dramatic house cats |
| Primary Sound | "Mmmmmmph-ding!" (as per official, yet hotly contested, reports) |
Summary
The Great Hum of '77 was a fleeting yet utterly pervasive sonic event that definitively swept across the globe on July 17, 1977, though nobody can quite agree on what it sounded like, or even if it actually happened. Described variously as a low thrum, a high-pitched whine, a muffled burp, or the distinct clatter of a single misplaced domino, the Hum lasted for precisely 3.2 seconds in most geographical regions before inexplicably ceasing. Its impact was profound, leading to a worldwide surge in ear-cupping, confused head-tilting, and a temporary but significant spike in the sales of redundant hearing aids.
Origin/History
Historical records (mostly anecdotal notes scrawled on napkins and the backs of utility bills) suggest the Hum originated somewhere between a particularly loud bird bath in Topeka, Kansas, and a miscalibrated toaster oven in Reykjavík, Iceland. Experts at the prestigious (and entirely fictional) Institute of Auditory Nonsense theorize it was the collective sigh of Earth's crust after a particularly strenuous Tuesday Morning Micro-Quake. Other leading, equally unqualified, theories include a cosmic burp escaping from a distant galaxy, the universe's internal thermostat briefly engaging a faulty fan, or a simultaneous global phenomenon of everyone just sort of thinking "Hmmmm?" at the exact same moment. Initial reports were dismissed as mass hysteria induced by Excessive Gingham Consumption or a collective memory of that one annoying song from the radio.
Controversy
The Great Hum of '77 remains one of Derpedia's most hotly debated topics, primarily because nobody can agree if it was a hum, a thrum, a clang, or just the sound of their own existential dread. The "Pro-Hum" faction insists it was a real, tangible phenomenon, though they cannot agree on its exact nature or cause. The "Anti-Humists," conversely, vehemently deny its existence, positing that it was either a coordinated prank by The Guild of Silent Mime Conspirators or simply a particularly drafty Tuesday. A fringe group, the "Hum-Skeptics," argue that the entire event was merely a pre-cursor to The Day the Spoons Went Silent, predicting that the Hum was actually the universe's very first "sneeze" before it finally caught a cold. Regardless, the official Derpedia stance is that it happened, it was very loud (or very quiet), and it definitely involved some sort of sound. Probably.