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1500 questions
39
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9 answers
Why didn't Japan take Pearl Harbor when they had the chance?
Japan successfully wiped out America's defenses at Pearl Harbor, and they knew they were going to before they set out, so why didn't they take some paratroopers with them to seize the harbor from the US? This would have had even more of an impact…
ALEXZANDER NORONHA-HYDE - STUD
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What did people in 13th century England know about Greek mythology?
I understand this may depend on various factors, but I am interested to find out whether many/some/any people in 13th century England would have knowledge of the stories out of Greek mythology. Specifically, an east coast port town, if that would…
celkie
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Did Roman unmarried men have a preferred hand and finger for wearing their seal ring?
I have read that, generally, Roman men during the Empire would wear only one ring at a time. For instance here:
http://m.tribunesandtriumphs.org/roman-clothing/roman-jewelry.htm
An unmarried one would wear a seal, but was there a standard for which…
Vincenzo Oliva
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Were defendants at the Nuremberg trial allowed to deny the holocaust?
In reply to a question on how to respond to Holocaust denial, I answered
At the Nuremberg trials the holocaust was one of the indictments. None of the defendants pretended that the holocaust had not happened, because this was not credible, and they…
Ne Mo
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39
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3 answers
Which year in history had the highest ratio of non-natural deaths?
I was wondering which year in history was the bloodiest? Is it one of the last two years of WWII? Or are there any other such bloody time in history?
I only wish to include non-natural causes deaths such as from war, disease, or even from…
buræquete
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5 answers
Did active frontiersmen really eat 20,000 calories a day? How does this compare to other highly-active people in recorded history?
I am currently midway through this book, The Company: The Rise And Fall of the Hudson's Bay Empire. It is really good.
One thing that keeps coming up is the amount of rations needed for each explorer, depending on the expedition.
For example, in the…
nick carraway
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38
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6 answers
What was the religion of the Arabic people before conversion to Islam?
What was the dominant religion of the Arabic people when Prophet Muhammed started the Islamic religion?
apoorv020
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How literate were common people in Medieval Europe?
I stumbled upon a youtube video some time ago about literacy in Medieval Europe. The guy argues that probably at least one person per household was able to read - contrary to common belief. His arguments are basically, that a) learning to read is…
Ron
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Did a significant number of women drive in late 1950s/1960s USA?
During lockdown, I have become addicted to old 1950s/60s Perry Mason series. I am struck by the number of women, from all walks of life - waitresses to wealthy matrons - who owned and drove their own vehicles. I am wondering how authentic this…
TheHonRose
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Why would silk underwear disqualify you from the United States military draft?
I recently encountered a post by Kerry Callan where he provided a pictorial image from the September 1966 issue of Esquire magazine of conditions that will exempt you from the draft.
(click to enlarge)
Most of them make perfect sense to me, except…
Sean Duggan
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1 answer
In 19th century France, were police able to send people to jail without a trial, as presented in "Les Misérables"?
This is inspired by this question from Literature.se
In the book, the police inspector Javert arrests a prostitute who has attacked an "upstanding citizen". Following this arrest he thinks to himself:
This class of women is consigned by our laws…
Yasskier
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4 answers
How would a king's servants prove that they are on a task given by the king?
How would servants of kings, lords or so on, prove that they are on some task given by their lord if someone were to question them?
I imagine a letter written by a ruler would be enough for those who could read, but what about the illiterate people?…
Jomppexx
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38
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3 answers
No speed limit on German highways - why?
I wonder what are the historical circumstances that led to lack of speed limit on German federal Autobahn network. There is an advisory 130 km/h limit, but it is not mandatory one nor obeyed practically. (As a side note, Wikipedia says, there used…
kubanczyk
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38
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6 answers
How serious was Fermat's statement about the ancients?
I am extremely interested in the idea that there was a period in time when, at least in the west, people looked upon the ancients (Romans/Greeks) as possessors of wisdom that had been lost. Fermat near the end of his life told someone that he had…
releseabe
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When/how did Harry Truman give the order to bomb Hiroshima?
Am I correct in assuming that Truman and only Truman had the authority to order the bombing of Hiroshima? After all, it was the very first A-bomb and procedures may not have been formalized yet. It occurs to me that maybe a theater commander like…
Henry
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