There were plenty of big, serious news stories last year — including a heated presidential election, multiple wars raging, and a seemingly endless deluge of mass shootings.
With all that heavy stuff dominating the headlines, some of the most fun, strange and fascinating tales can sometimes slip under the radar.
So behold, a round-up of The Post’s weirdest and wackiest stories of 2024. From secret synagogue tunnels to hot dog-eating scandals, there was a lot to make your jaw drop.
Crimes of the heart! Adultery becomes legal in New York after 117 years
A century-old law that outlawed cheating on your spouse was overturned by Gov. Kathy Hochul in November — with the pol proclaiming two-timing should be handled by “individuals,” not cops.
Previously, unfaithful folks faced up to 90 days behind bars for the class B misdemeanor, which was on the books but basically forgotten.
Canal No. 5! NYC sprays ‘Christmas’ scent near Gowanus Canal
The city sprayed “Christmas”-scented perfume around the Gowanus Canal to cover up the polluted waterway’s notoriously nasty smell — but residents said the poo-pourri didn’t work.
The cinnamon-forward fragrances were unleashed around the perimeter of the “Superfund site” in plan neighbors said totally stunk.
‘Chabad’ boys arrested for digging hidden tunnel to Brooklyn synagogue
A group of 13 young Hasidic Jewish students were busted in January for digging a secret tunnel to access a famous synagogue in Crown Heights.
The men, who mostly hailed from Israel, began building the 50-foot-long passageway leading to the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters because they believed religious leaders were taking too long to expand its sanctuary, authorities said.
Government overreach, in a nutshell! P’nut the squirrel killed by state officials
P’nut, the Instagram-famous rescue squirrel, was seized by state officials during an hours-long raid at a farm upstate and euthanized to test him for rabies. The critter’s killing — along with Fred the racoon’s death — became a rallying cry about government overreach among lawmakers and right-leaning celebrities.
Buns of steal! Nathan’s hot dog eating contest rocked by cheating claims
Cheaters are the wurst! Competitive eater Nick Wehry Wehry was accused of “stealing plates” from another contestant’s stack to make it look like he’d scarfed down more hot dogs than he actually had at the July 4th competition.
Hungry chart! NJ gubernatorial candidate roasted for faking Spotify stats to look like a Bruce Springsteen superfan
New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer posted a doctored list of his “most-listened-to” annual Spotify songs online — falsely claiming all of the top five were by Bruce Springsteen. He was accused of fibbing about his fandom to drum up voter support among Boss-loving Garden State residents.
The earth moved for us! Tri-state shook up by biggest quake in 140 years
The most powerful earthquake in 140 rocked the Big Apple, shaking buildings and sending scared residents bolting into the street. The 4.8-magnitude temblor struck near Lebanon, NJ, in April and was likely felt by up to 42 million people.
More than 70 migrants found sleeping in cramped NYC basement
Dozens of migrant men were discovered living in a crowded basement under a Queens furniture store, where occupants took turns sleeping, officials said. Only 40 of the migrants could fit in the illegal boarding house at a time — but nearly twice as many were living there.
Air head! Russian stowaway sneaks onto Paris-bound delta airlines flight
An unhinged Russian woman breached several layers of security at JFK International Airport then slipped onto a Paris-bound flight in a bizarre stunt. Svetlana Dali, 57— who had previously tried the same thing at other airports — was flown back to the Big Apple and arrested.
Wendy’s plans Uber-style ‘surge pricing’ during peak hours
The fast food chain said it would roll out a new system where burger prices fluctuate based on demand — but customers had beef with the plan. The company later scrapped surge pricing idea.
