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1500 questions
27
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3 answers
What is this strange symbol painted on basement floor?
Given the layers of dirt this symbol and the walkway were found under, I assume it was painted before the 1960s. The house was likely built between 1900-1913, with the basement being dug at the same time. But the concrete used for the floor in each…
SeanFromIT
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Why did the East India Company accept the Government of India Act 1858?
In 1858, the British Parliament passed the Government of India Act which contained provisions of liquidation of the Company and transfer of assets and governance to the British Crown.
The Act was going to kill the East India Company and the Company…
Time Portal
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27
votes
7 answers
What is the historical basis for the claim that "Taiwan has always been part of China"?
Since young, I am informed that Taiwan is always a part of China and should not seek independence, and that the Chinese Communist Party will not hesitate to use force to stop the Taiwanese from seeking independence.
The newspapers I read were mostly…
Graviton
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27
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5 answers
What was Muhammad's religion before becoming a Muslim prophet?
According to this question, the predominant religion in Arabia before Islam was some kind of polytheism. While according to Muhammad's Wikipedia page,
According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad himself was a Hanif ..
the page defined "Hanifs" as…
Louis Rhys
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27
votes
16 answers
Why didn't the Greeks or Romans have an Industrial Revolution?
The Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain in the 18th century. The precursor to the Industrial Revolution was the Enlightenment. This occurred when European scholars rediscovered Greek and Roman ideas. One outcome was the discovery of the…
Razie Mah
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27
votes
3 answers
Is there any evidence of STD's in ancient times?
Are there any ancient texts that show or imply that their authors knew that certain diseases were spread through sexual activity? It seems like sexual contagion was recognized in the 16th century during the height of the syphilis epidemic. I have…
Mike
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27
votes
3 answers
When and why was the samurai class abolished?
I am aware the Emperor Meiji abolished the Samurai class during the reformation. Why did he do so? How was it enforced?
Sardathrion - against SE abuse
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27
votes
7 answers
Why did England consistently adopt red as their primary colour for insignia and uniform?
Throughout the last 1000 years, red has become a consistent motif for military clothing and heraldic imagery in England. What are the reasons for this? Are there economic, environmental (e.g., dyes used in wool trade), social or political reasons…
Alan Kael Ball
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27
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4 answers
Were any German cities spared by the Allies for personal or idiosyncratic reasons?
Histories of the bombing campaign against German cities in WW2 often mention that German civilians towards the end of war were prey to fantastical rumours that such-and-such a city "is being spared" because a senior Allied leader once holidayed…
Tea Drinker
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27
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5 answers
How many different countries could a person alive today have lived in without leaving their hometown?
For example, a centenarian who has spent her entire life in Rijeka would have lived in five:
The Austro-Hungarian Empire (until 1920)
The Free State of Fiume (1920-1924)
Italy (1924-1947)
Yugoslavia (1947-1991)
Croatia (1991-present)
Is there any…
dan04
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27
votes
5 answers
Did Louis XIV actually say "The State? I am the State."? Could he have said it?
In "The French Revolution, A History" Chapter 1.1.II, Thomas Carlyle reports that Louis XIV once proclaimed:
"L'État, c'est moi" - The State? I am the State (Carlyle's rendering into English)
Carlyle cites no source for this seemingly incredible…
user2590
26
votes
2 answers
What did the Romans do for Judea?
I watched The Life of Brian and I heard this quotation:
And from our fathers' fathers' fathers.
Reg: Yes.
Stan: And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers.
Reg: All right, Stan. Don't labour the point. And what have they ever given us in…
user4951
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26
votes
5 answers
How true is the statement "Soviet troops got into Berlin riding American trucks, walking in American boots and using American trains"?
In other words, how significant was American lend-lease in helping the Soviet front? Would the Soviets be suffering a lot more had lend-lease not happen, or was it not as significant as people make out?
Evil Washing Machine
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26
votes
1 answer
Who discovered first that the Moon does not have its own light?
Who (and when) discovered first that the Moon does not have its own light?
alekhine
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26
votes
5 answers
Why did it take over 100 years for Britain to begin seriously colonising America?
After the New World was discovered, it didn't take long for Spain, and relatively soon after, Portugal, to begin permanent colonisation there. It took over 100 years after the New World's discovery for other European powers, but particular to this…
Alister Sinclair
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