/r/askhistorians

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Most people see Cleopatra as an Egyptian, but she was actually Greek. What is her real story and how did we come to the legends about her?

344 upvotes • strongerthanyouknow

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When cars first started hitting the streets, where were people getting gas from? Was there just a central gas station for all of, say, New York?

344 upvotes • fathercthulu

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What was Robert E Lee's opinion on slavery?

344 upvotes • Thatsafunny

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There are numerous 18th- and 19th-century designs for 'safety coffins' with features designed to prevent their occupants from being buried alive. Do we have any evidence of how common these contraptions were, if any are still intact today, and if they actually saved any lives?

344 upvotes • Rioghail

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What impact did the Wall Street crash of 1929 have on the Soviet Union?

344 upvotes • FyllingenOy

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Many modern children are fascinated by dinosaurs. What were children similarly fascinated by before the discovery of dinosaurs?

344 upvotes • FreddTM

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What do historians think of the Business Plot?

344 upvotes • [deleted]

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Were the Vikings actually unusually brutal for their era, or does their reputation owe more to Christian progaganda? NSFW

344 upvotes • Jerswar

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Why are demons and devil often depicted with a spade or triangle on their tails?

344 upvotes • helvetic-aesthetic

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In stories from the Middle Ages and previous centuries where people are executed for strange crimes like ‘excessive public laughter’ or ‘wearing one shoe in public’ are these satirical hyperbole or were people put to death for bizarre ‘crimes’ in days gone by?

344 upvotes • Squaragus_Asparagus

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Most people see Cleopatra as an Egyptian, but she was actually Greek. What is her real story and how did we come to the legends about her?	344	strongerthanyouknow
When cars first started hitting the streets, where were people getting gas from? Was there just a central gas station for all of, say, New York?	344	fathercthulu
What was Robert E Lee's opinion on slavery?	344	Thatsafunny
There are numerous 18th- and 19th-century designs for 'safety coffins' with features designed to prevent their occupants from being buried alive. Do we have any evidence of how common these contraptions were, if any are still intact today, and if they actually saved any lives?	344	Rioghail
What impact did the Wall Street crash of 1929 have on the Soviet Union?	344	FyllingenOy
Many modern children are fascinated by dinosaurs. What were children similarly fascinated by before the discovery of dinosaurs?	344	FreddTM
What do historians think of the Business Plot?	344	[deleted]
Were the Vikings actually unusually brutal for their era, or does their reputation owe more to Christian progaganda? NSFW	344	Jerswar
Why are demons and devil often depicted with a spade or triangle on their tails?	344	helvetic-aesthetic
In stories from the Middle Ages and previous centuries where people are executed for strange crimes like ‘excessive public laughter’ or ‘wearing one shoe in public’ are these satirical hyperbole or were people put to death for bizarre ‘crimes’ in days gone by?	344	Squaragus_Asparagus