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1500 questions
28
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Why was language not used to establish dominance throughout England 1066 AD–1360s CE?
Why didn’t the Normans enforce the use of their native tongue throughout the whole of England after William the Conqueror (of Normandy) became king of England? During William’s reign as king he discouraged the use of Old English in his court, and…
E1Suave
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How were books published in Ancient Greece?
Suppose I'm a contemporary of Aristotle, living in Athens, and I want to write a book on, say, philosophy or mathematics. I suppose I would start by writing out a complete manuscript on some form of paper. But then what happens?
Were there companies…
Jack M
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28
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Why did Germany not join the United Nations until 1973?
I am bit shocked to see that Germany joined United Nations - UN in 1973, what was political reason for postponing membership in that important organisation, if we see that for example Italy joined UN in 1955 and Japan joined UN in 1956?
user45467
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What Factors Have Led to the Duration of US Copyrights Continuously Increasing?
The below image shows how the duration of US copyright laws has increased to 4x what it was originally. Is there a reason that copyright duration has only been extended in the US? What are the historical reasons for extending copyright protection?
Dale
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Have there been any notable battles fought with steel vs. bronze weapons?
In answering the question "was the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age violent?" I found out a few facts that I hadn't expected. Namely, that the early iron weapons weren't necessarily much better than the bronze weapons, and Roman…
Bryce
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How many troops died on D-day?
How many troops (allied and axis) died at Normandy beach on June 6th, 1944? I've searched all over the internet, but can't find an accurate number.
Daniel
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Why did the Federalist Party collapse?
The Federalist Party in the United States was a significant political force during the early years of the United States' history. Wikipedia doesn't really cite reasons why the party declined and eventually ceased to exist - what would you cite as…
Chris Bunch
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Why did Stalin keep the famine of 1932 a secret?
The famine of 1932 took millions of lives, before the Soviet authorities took some measures to alleviate the lives of the peasants. During the whole time, and for decades afterwards, the affair was kept secret. Contrast this to the famine of 1921:…
mart
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Why do the Japanese sing Ode to Joy during the Japanese New Year?
During the New Years days, the Japanese have a curious custom where they perform Beethoven's 9th symphony. This has produced some stunning sights on youtube
But there's nothing particularly festive or New Year like with this music. How did this…
Crème Caramelita
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Are tanks the only reason for the abandonment of trench warfare?
The First World War in the West was for 4 years restricted to trench warfare. Gaining enemy territory cost many human lives for both sides. The main (or maybe most spectacular) battles were Verdun and Somme (both 1916) which led (sources vary) to a…
Voitcus
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How was titanium transported from Soviet Union to Area 51 for Oxcart?
Oxcart was one of its kind, a sophisticated aircraft designed during the Cold-War era. Its body was made up of titanium. Titanium was only found in substantial quantities in the then Soviet Union. The USA brought huge amounts of titanium from the…
user5062
28
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2 answers
When did challenging to a duel cease to be a practice in English culture?
In the Aubrey Maturin series of novels, there are at least two scenes where the protagonists are challenged to a duel:
Post-Captain - Aubrey and Maturin about Aubrey's reputation with the Admiralty
HMS Surprise - Stephen challenges another lover of…
hawkeye
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Why did Great Britain switch its alliance to France?
England (and its succeeding states) were at war with France for close to 1000 years. First it was over land, then they competed over religion, then they competed over colonies.
For much of that time, England was allied with various German states.…
historical
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Why did the Moors invade the Iberian peninsula?
Almost all of the information that I can find with regards to the Moorish invasion of the Iberian Peninsula simply states when the Moors invaded. There seems to be very little on what the motivation of the Moors was to invade the Iberian Peninsula.…
ihtkwot
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What was the average height of Roman men and women?
On a field trip to Philadelphia as a child I visited Betsy Ross' house. I was only 11 at the time and yet my head almost reached the ceiling. The tour guide said that Americans used to be shorter than they are now, and so their homes reflected this,…
whitewings
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