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1500 questions
78
votes
1 answer
What drugs were used in England during the High Middle Ages?
It's well known that alcohol was brewed and drunk throughout the Middle ages in England, but I wonder what is known from archaeological evidence and contemporary sources about what other drugs were consumed and what societal attitudes towards them…
Jack Aidley
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77
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5 answers
Is there any evidence to support the claim that the United States was "suckered into WW1" by Zionists, made by Benjamin Freedman in his 1961 speech?
In the comments to another question another user of History:SE made a remarkable, if unbelievable, claim:
Actually, Germany was shocked when the US declared war and entered on the side of Great Britain. The entry of the US quickly brought an…
sempaiscuba
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77
votes
3 answers
Why did Canada not join the American Revolution?
America declared independence from Britain and fought a war of independence. Several states joined the fight, however, Canada remained British. Why did the American rebellion and war of independence not spread to Canada?
Rincewind42
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77
votes
16 answers
Has there ever been a truly multi-sided war?
I was playing StarCraft the other night, and it occurred to me: that game series portrays effectively a 3-way war, where all three factions are fighting the other two with equal ferocity.
Obviously, in real life various factions tend to make…
Nerrolken
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76
votes
12 answers
Why weren't Indians converted en masse to Islam or Christianity?
India was ruled by Muslims from around the 12th century until 1857, and then by the British till 1947. However, India still has a large number of Hindus. Countries like Indonesia, Afghanistan, Malaysia now have Islam as the dominant religion.
Many…
St. SJ
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76
votes
4 answers
Cultural understanding of Penelope's suitors
In the Odyssey, Penelope is courted by 108 suitors, who camp out in her house/royal court indefinitely, behaving badly, while she delays them. I'm having trouble understanding the historical and cultural context here. Is enough known about the…
user2848
75
votes
9 answers
Where is the bloodiest square mile on Earth?
In terms of repeated wars and other violent encounters, where have the most people died throughout history (cumulatively over time) within one square mile?
This will include deaths at the hands of others, or themselves, using any conventional…
user32121
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73
votes
2 answers
Which culture used no personal names?
The blog post Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Names – With Examples claims that:
There was an isolated culture in which
no one had names – they referred to everyone in relative terms, such
as “my mother’s eldest sister”.
Is this true?…
csirmazbendeguz
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73
votes
3 answers
When did bombs actually look like this?
I guess most are familiar with the cartoonish "bomb icon". It is used to warn of metaphorical or literal explosive danger and shows a deep black sphere with a smaller cylinder attached. That is where the burning fuse starts.
(created by Wikimedia…
HOtten
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72
votes
4 answers
Did ancient peoples ever hide their treasure behind puzzles?
I just saw the film Dora and the Lost City of Gold, in which there is a somewhat meta running commentary over whether so-called "jungle puzzles", intellectual challenges typically requiring explorers to push the right buttons, pull the right levers,…
Robert Columbia
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71
votes
8 answers
Why was Africa colonized last of the continents in the Age of Discovery?
One thing that I always wondered is during the time where European powers were dividing up the world amongst themselves (1500-1900 roughly), why was it that Africa seemed to lag behind in colonization, compared to other continents such as the…
canadiancreed
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71
votes
4 answers
Why Were Madagascar and New Zealand Discovered So Late?
Considering how exploration over long distances into the unknown has been a part of human nature right at the beginning, it's surprising that some fairly large places have been discovered relatively recently. The island of Madagascar, for example,…
JohnWDailey
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71
votes
9 answers
Why did the USSR give Crimea to Ukraine?
In 1954 Soviets transferred Crimea from Russian Soviet Republic to Ukrainian Soviet Republic.
Why is this strange?
The whole act, at least officially, was meant to be "a gift", a token of friendship. You do not normally give huge pieces of land in…
Jake Jay
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71
votes
5 answers
Why were Navajo code talkers used during WW2?
In history class, we are covering WW2. On the topic of code-talking, Native American language usage was mentioned, but nothing was said about cryptography. An online search did not come up with any clear information relating the two topics. Why was…
Dan Z
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70
votes
7 answers
Is it true that "All spicy food is from Latin America"?
Nancy Qian, economist who has studied the Columbian Exchange (2018):
There really was no spicy food in the world before the Columbian Exchange.
Denver Nicks, author of Hot Sauce Nation (2016):
Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no chilies…
user3521