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1500 questions
26
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4 answers
Can the Queen of England fire the prime minister of Australia?
My Australian friend says yes. I'm not so sure, considering the monarchy collects no taxes from England, much less a country in the commonwealth. What's the verdict? Can she say "you're fired" and Tony Abbot is out?
samthebrand
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What were birthdays like in Medieval times?
I considered putting this question on Worldbuilding SE, but decided it would be better suited here, as it is about history. I am doing some research for a fantasy medieval novel, and I was wondering what birthdays were like in Medieval times.…
Thomas Reinstate Monica Myron
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26
votes
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Size of Viking armies and raiding parties in 9th-10th centuries?
I am watching the Vikings series, and although I don't consider it a historically accurate series, I noticed somethings that I am curious about.
The series takes place in the late 8th century, documenting the first Viking raids against England.…
Abanob Ebrahim
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26
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Why do so many national flags contain the color red?
I was doing some riddles with my daughter today and mentioned some nations. She had to 'calculate' how many of those nations' flags had the color red in them.
As it happened, all of them did. In addition, a lot of them contain white (which I guess…
user1914292
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26
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5 answers
How would you accurately use older British currencies when writing a story?
For writing a story set in the Napoleonic Wars era, how should one use the currencies accurately? I read in novels they use currencies like shilling, pound, guinea, sovereign, four (or six-, etc) pence, etc.
What is the conversion rate between these…
Louis Rhys
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26
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How significant was the Fall of Constantinople as an event leading to the Age of Exploration?
I have been hearing that the Fall of Constantinople was the most important event that ultimately led to the Age of Exploration, mainly the discovery of the New World by Columbus and of the sea route to India by Vasco da Gama.
However, from what I…
taninamdar
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Who named the Democratic Party?
Which politician or organization was the first to formally use the name "Democratic Party" for the party of Andrew Jackson? When and where did this happen?
Background: Thomas Jefferson's political party was called the Republican Party by its…
two sheds
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Why did the US drop nuclear bombs on a weakened Japan?
Why did the United States drop two nuclear bombs on the Japanese mainland? It appeared that Japan was ready to surrender.
worldwarcrazzy
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What are good online sources for historical maps?
I am looking for good online sources for historical maps, specifically the late medieval period (but other periods would be interesting as well). While there are many historical maps out there, few feature details such as city names, names of…
mzuba
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Which bastards became kings?
William the Conqueror was a bastard and I have heard him being referred to as William the Bastard by a Beefeater on a tour in the Tower of London.
Are there any other examples of bastards becoming kings in history? I'd be especially interested if…
Ronan
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Last death caused by World War I
Today, I heard about seven deaths attributed to an explosion of a bomb from World War 2: Seven dead as war bomb explodes in Bangkok scrap yard
Hopefully, the last death or deaths that can be reasonably regarded as caused by World War 1 has already…
Golden Cuy
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26
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Why did the Dutch, French & British acquire minor colonies in South America?
We know that South America was partitioned between Spain and Portugal in the early days of empire when Spain and Portugal were the major powers. Later, in the 19th century, when Spain and Portugal went into decline, the countries of South America…
Tea Drinker
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What did Germany do after World War II to recover so successfully that it became more prosperous than its WW2 victors?
Germany lost in World War II. Being the loser, its economy started at a disadvantage compared to her World War II victors in the aftermath of WW2. However, Germany managed to recover more successfully than her World War II victors to become the…
curious
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How many lives were estimated to have been saved by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs?
**President Truman in a August 9, 1945 radio address to the American people, outlined the reasons why we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (and later Nagasaki)
I realize the tragic significance of the atomic bomb.
Its production and its use were…
user1873
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What was the first battle in history fought by vast-majority-% "distance-shooting" non-mechanized force?
Historically, armies usually had a balance between warriors with projectile weapons (bows/guns) and close combat edged weapons (sword/pike/axe etc...).
This was necessary because ranged weapons of the time were not good enough to prevent…
DVK
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