/r/AskHistorians

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In a game as ancient as chess, why is the queen the most powerful piece, considering the fact that women were not allowed to fight in any capacity?

6805 upvotes • WalrusNjnja

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For centuries, the Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) believed that they were the last of the jewish people in the world. How was their reaction to the knowledge that there are other jewish communities scattered around the world?

6795 upvotes • Krelius

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Jesus was raised Jewish; what was Mohammed raised? How did Islam acquire its traditional respect for 'people of the Book'?

6784 upvotes • td4999

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In America pickled cucumbers are usually just called "pickles" and they are a kitchen staple. What caused pickled cucumbers to be so dominant compared to other pickled vegetables?

6729 upvotes • Darmok-on-the-Ocean

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Is removing pubic hair a modern fad or did any historical cultures engage in the practice? NSFW

6708 upvotes • KancolleMarineSexper

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Why didn't ancient Egyptian wall paintings depict them wearing winter clothing, although modern day Egypt can get pretty cold in the winters?

6708 upvotes • dedemo202

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What were electric eels called before electricity?

6701 upvotes • [deleted]

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I've heard that it's a common issue in some parts of academia for PhD students to write their dissertations only to find out that someone in the USSR already wrote about this topic decades ago. What were the implications of this in the early 1990s when the Soviet archives were released to the west?

6677 upvotes • Xxxn00bpwnR69xxX

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A college professor once told our class, "WWII was essentially two major wars, one between Russia and Germany, the other between Japan and China, along with a series of comparatively small territorial conflicts surrounding them." Is this assessment fair?

6671 upvotes • old_gold_mountain

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Up until 2008 it was believed Finland had no direct role in the Holocaust. Then a PhD student discovered the existence of Einsatzkommando Finnland.

6662 upvotes • Lewisb2

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
In a game as ancient as chess, why is the queen the most powerful piece, considering the fact that women were not allowed to fight in any capacity?	6805	WalrusNjnja
For centuries, the Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) believed that they were the last of the jewish people in the world. How was their reaction to the knowledge that there are other jewish communities scattered around the world?	6795	Krelius
Jesus was raised Jewish; what was Mohammed raised? How did Islam acquire its traditional respect for 'people of the Book'?	6784	td4999
In America pickled cucumbers are usually just called "pickles" and they are a kitchen staple. What caused pickled cucumbers to be so dominant compared to other pickled vegetables?	6729	Darmok-on-the-Ocean
Is removing pubic hair a modern fad or did any historical cultures engage in the practice? NSFW	6708	KancolleMarineSexper
Why didn't ancient Egyptian wall paintings depict them wearing winter clothing, although modern day Egypt can get pretty cold in the winters?	6708	dedemo202
What were electric eels called before electricity?	6701	[deleted]
I've heard that it's a common issue in some parts of academia for PhD students to write their dissertations only to find out that someone in the USSR already wrote about this topic decades ago. What were the implications of this in the early 1990s when the Soviet archives were released to the west?	6677	Xxxn00bpwnR69xxX
A college professor once told our class, "WWII was essentially two major wars, one between Russia and Germany, the other between Japan and China, along with a series of comparatively small territorial conflicts surrounding them." Is this assessment fair?	6671	old_gold_mountain
Up until 2008 it was believed Finland had no direct role in the Holocaust. Then a PhD student discovered the existence of Einsatzkommando Finnland.	6662	Lewisb2