Item #: SCP-4160

Object Class: Keter Neutralized

Special Containment Procedures: As of 16/11/2025, SCP-4160 has been determined to have been neutralized following Incident 4160-23. No further containment efforts are deemed necessary at this time. Archived containment procedures have been included below.

+ Archived Containment Procedures

- Archived Containment Procedures

Due to the nature of SCP-4160, total containment is impossible at this time. As such, Foundation efforts are to be focused on the reduction of public awareness of SCP-4160.

Foundation Operatives within world governments are to pursue the day of November 15th to be declared a national holiday within the United States, Russia, and member states of the European Union. Additionally, operatives within educational systems are to attempt to reduce the number of classes teaching history1 on November 15th, each year. A Foundation-operated bot (I/O-HERODOTUS) is to monitor online communities for discussions/media regarding SCP-4160 instances. MTF Gamma-5 ("Red Herrings") is to investigate these discussions and provide needed amnesticization/cover-up on a case-by-case basis.

Description: SCP-4160 is an event occurring annually on November 15th within a single arbitrary history lesson being taught on that date. During the event, a pupil will become highly agitated with a point of discussion introduced by the instructor, invariably resulting in an increasingly heated verbal exchange followed by physical violence on the part of the pupil as they attempt to prevent completion of the lesson. These points of discussion triggering SCP-4160 events range from insignificant historical trivia, which are often given special consideration by the instructor for their potential historical influence, to major historical events. If left unhindered, this act of violence will eventually culminate in the death of either the pupil or instructor at the hands of the other, as instructors are determined to finish their lesson despite the verbal and physical assault. To date, no observed event has ended in the completion of the lesson.

Following these events, a surviving affected pupil will continue to deny the point of discussion that triggered the SCP-4160 event, though not to the extent of causing harm to others. This behavior will continue until November 15th of the following year. If the memory of the initial event is removed with amnestic treatment, this behavior ceases.

Additionally, surviving pupils and instructors affected by SCP-4160 have unanimously reported to briefly hear two feminine voices arguing upon completion of an SCP-4160 event.2 Affected individuals with a knowledge of Ancient Greek have, through assistance by Foundation linguists, identified the entity as speaking a form of the Attic Greek dialect. Translations of these exchanges have included:

"I don't mess with your art! Why do you have to mess with mine?"

"This is my art, dear sister."

"You know I can erase you from the record, right?"

"I'd like to see you try."

"Every damn time! I'll tell father about this!"

"Oh, come now. What's he going to do? He's too busy looking for someone or something to screw."

"Thalia3, help me!"

"This is far too comedic a development for her to help. You're stuck, dear."

"Fuck off, Mel!"

"Oh well isn't that just tragic?"

"Oh my gods STOP!"

It is unknown how long SCP-4160 events have occurred. Regular historical evidence of their occurrence has dated back to the 17th century, with a sporadic record potentially dating back to at least 800 BCE. Currently, there are no reliable means of predicting where an SCP-4160 event will occur prior to its initiation.

As of 1990, Foundation efforts have successfully located and contained approximately 90% of SCP-4160 events. Attempts to trigger an SCP-4160 event in a Foundation controlled environment are ongoing.

Addendum 4160-A: Discovery

SCP-4160 first became apparent to Foundation operatives on 15/11/1970 during a season four production of the public television children's program of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." During the episode, an electrician taught the host, Fred Rogers, about the history of the incandescent lightbulb, during which they emphasized the importance of the filament choice Thomas Edison had used in his designs. The host then became highly agitated with his guest, arguing with them for several minutes before becoming violent and attempting to harm the guest with his chair.

An investigation conducted by Foundation operatives uncovered SCP-4160's historical trend, and the event was soon after categorized as an SCP. Action by MTF Gamma-5 was able to cover-up the incident without significant public exposure.

Addendum 4160-B: Abridged Event List

The following is an abridged list of notable SCP-4160 events. A full list of observed and potential SCP-4160 events can be found in Document 4160-B.

Date: Between 420 and 410 BCE

Location: Athens, Greece

Description: Memoirs by Thucydides indicating four of his lectures on the Peloponnesian War ending prematurely following a pupil's revolt. In each case, fellow pupils were able to subdue the perpetrator, and in three cases killing them. Thucydides does not state what the triggering point of discussion was in any of these events. Original memoirs have been archived by the Foundation and changed in the public record.

Date: 1068 CE

Location: Goslar, Germany

Description: Memoirs of Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne during the education of Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. Anno reports that during the emperor's education a heated debate occurred between him and one of his tutors over the origin of the term "paladin" within Charlemagne's court. In a fit of anger, Henry IV defenestrated the tutor, who reportedly attempted to continue the lesson where he landed before succumbing to trauma. Original memoirs have been archived by the Foundation and changed in the public record.

Date: 1790 CE

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, US

Description: Account from the diary of Ms. Elizabeth Abney, a Boston area school teacher. During a discussion of the coloration of the British uniforms during the French and Indian War, a pupil named John Cook became highly agitated. The account insists that Abney disciplined Cook with a switch before he could enact physical violence. Due to the beating taking 'hours' Abney was unable to complete the lecture before the school day ended. Abney's diary has been recovered by the Foundation and expunged from the public record.

Date: 1878 CE

Location: Manchester, UK

Description: Disciplinary report from the Victoria University of Manchester for Colin Taylor. The report states that during a lecture on the Napoleonic Wars in which the professor discussed the potential role of the tin buttons on the French coats in their defeat during the invasion of Russia, Taylor left mid-lecture. Upon his return to the lecture hall, Taylor assaulted the professor with snowballs while shouting "Here are your [EXPLETIVE] tin buttons!" The report indicates that Taylor had torn the buttons from his coat and placed one in each snowball thrown. Taylor was apprehended by local authorities soon after. The professor reportedly attempted to resume his lecture but was unable to finish due to sustaining a concussion. The record has been recovered by the Foundation and expunged from the public record.

Date: 1961 CE

Location: Portland, Oregon, US

Description: Police report for the assault of Dr. Connor Jackson by Dr. Terrance Creed, two history professors at Portland State University. According to the report, while both were at a local bar, Jackson began to lecture Creed on the importance of the 1934 West Coast waterfront strike in weakening the local American Federation of Labor when the two broke into a fight, during which time Creed tore out Jackson's tongue upon the latter's attempts to continue his lecture. Due to Creed and Jackson still being alive following the Foundation's discovery of SCP-4160, interviews about the incident were conducted. The original police record has been archived by the Foundation and changed in the public record.

Date: 2015 CE

Location: Site-64

Description: See Incident 4160-23.

Addendum 4160-C: Incident 4160-23

During a Foundation Seminar hosted at Site-64 on 15/11/2015 entitled "An Iron Curtain and a Rippling Veil: Changes to Consensus Normalcy During the Cold War" an SCP-4160 event occurred between Dr. Janice Hamada, who was conducting the seminar, and Agent Beatrice Ross, resident thaumatologist of MTF Tau-51 ("Urban Brawl"), who was in attendance.

During the resulting skirmish between Agent Ross and other personnel in attendance, Agent Anaya Sarkar of MTF Gamma-5 was able to incapacitate her. Agent Sarkar instructed Dr. Hamada to finish her seminar in Agent Ross's presence. Following completion of the seminar, Agent Ross's agitated behavior ceased. An interview with Agent Ross was conducted shortly afterward.

Addendum 4160-D: Object Class Reassignment

SCP-4160 events have failed to occur following the events of Incident 4160-23. As of 11/16/2025, SCP-4160 is considered neutralized. Changes to SCP-4160's documentation have been made where appropriate.

Addendum 4160-E: Interview 4160-84

Interviewed: Agent Beatrice Ross

Interviewer: Researcher Roland Ferro

Foreword: The following interview was conducted on 15/11/2015, following Agent Ross's participation in an SCP-4160 event.

<Begin Log>

Ferro: Well, this is awkward. How are you holding up, Beatrice?

Ross: I got body slammed into a table by a 'Herring.' I've had better days, Roland. Do you think I can get some Tylenol or something?

Ferro: In a few moments, sure. Time is a bit crucial here. I'm sure you understand.

Ross sighs.

Ross: Yeah, whatever.

Ferro: Why did you attempt to assault Dr. Hamada?

Ross: I wish I could tell you, but I don't know. I mean, as far as these historical seminars go, this one was actually pretty interesting.

Ross chuckles.

Ross: I guess when they brought up the big move of anomalies into Egypt, Yugoslavia, and Indonesia during the start of the Cold War as a means for the Foundation to remain neutral, well, something clicked in the back of my mind. I kept thinking to myself "That doesn't sound right…"

Ferro: That was pretty early on in the seminar.

Ross: I know, at first, I pushed it back thinking, "eh, whatever." But as Dr. Hamada went on I felt my blood begin to heat up. Each new statement was like another insult. "That doesn't sound right" became "That's just wrong" which became "What makes you think you can say that" and then "Who the fuck do you think you are" and finally "I need to stop this." Then I felt myself explode.

Ferro: You didn't black out then?

Ross: Nope. I was fully aware of what I was doing. Regrettably. If I hadn't been stopped I probably would have shot a rod of lightning up her ass.

Ferro: You noticeably calmed down after Dr. Hamada finished her lecture though. What was going on there?

Ross: The second she said: "Thank you for attending my seminar, any questions?" I felt another click, and thought, "Well shit, she's right." There just wasn't any anger left after that.

Ferro: Just like that? Gone?

Ross: Gone.

Ferro finishes writing some notes.

Ross: Hey, Roland? The people affected during these events are supposed to hear a voice speaking Greek at the end yeah? Did my translator report to you about what I heard?

Ferro pauses.

Ferro: No, not yet. What was it?

Ross chuckles.

Ross: Well, they had really thick accents, and one sounded rather pissed. I guess the translation was:

Ross: "I win, Melpomene.4"

Ross: "Well played, Clio.5"

<End Log>

Footnotes

1. Such classes are defined as any in which a significant portion of the content is dedicated to the study of past events, with a minimum of at least one instructor and one pupil.

2. An SCP-4160 event is considered complete when the lesson is ended and does not resume. This can be due to death of the instructor, or the instructor failing to resume the lesson within 15 minutes following the death or incapacitation of the pupil.

3. In Greco-Roman mythology, Thalia is the muse of Comedy, one of nine inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts.

4. In Greco-Roman mythology, Melpomene is the muse of Tragedy.

5. In Greco-Roman mythology, Clio is the muse of History.