The Jimmy Carter Rabbit Incident

On April 20, 1979, President Jimmy Carter was attacked by a large swimming rabbit in rural Georgia. You can read more about the incident here:
Jimmy Carter rabbit incident

Seriously, go read that first sentence again and ponder this for a moment. White House press secretary Jody Powell had this to say about the incident:

The President confessed to having had limited experience with enraged rabbits. He was unable to reach a definite conclusion about its state of mind. What was obvious, however, was that this large, wet animal, making strange hissing noises and gnashing its teeth, was intent upon climbing into the Presidential boat.

Apparently many on Carter's staff were incredulous at his story at first blush, unwilling to imagine that rabbits could swim, or perhaps just unwilling to imagine that a rabbit could appear menacing to the leader of the world's biggest economy and second-largest nuclear power. Randall Munroe helpfully puts the event into its proper historical context here:

Indeed. Let us never forget the killer swamp rabbit of Georgia.