/r/askhistorians

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Do we have any records of recreational drugs used in the ancient world that no longer exist?

3115 upvotes • TroopersSon

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In the first season of The Sopranos, one of the male characters was hesitant about performing oral sex on a woman. He said if any of his peers found out, they would think less of him and view him as a possible homosexual. Was this actually the case in mafia culture? If so, why? NSFW

3114 upvotes • Knightmare25

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Missionaries to Ming China reported that even beggars lived like kings did in Europe. Assuming this to be hyperbole, how prosperous was China under the height of Ming power?

3114 upvotes • ShonenSuki

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Was George Washington actually a good general?

3111 upvotes • Xxxn00bpwnR69xxX

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What led to the rise of the ubiquitous "wacky morning DJ"? When and why did radio shift to over-the-top entertainment programs?

3111 upvotes • C0UNTZER0INTERRUPT

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Has there ever been previous "haha funny sex/drug meme" numbers like 69 and 420 in the past? Were ancient Roman kids giggling every time 17 came up, or Sumerians over 190?

3111 upvotes • semi-bro

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In boot camp, recruits to the military are stripped of personalizing human characteristics (hair cut off, given identical clothes/gear, being deprived of privacy, randomly being subject to abuse). Where did this practice come from (it's clearly been thought out)? Has it evolved over time?

3110 upvotes • td4999

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Was Genghis Khan considered a pious and moral man by the standards of his religion?

3110 upvotes • Real_Carl_Ramirez

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Is moving out at 18 an artifact of World War II?

3110 upvotes • JLeeSaxon

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Modern-day people suffering paranoid psychosis often have delusions with modern themes, such as being targeted by government intelligence agencies. Do we have examples of how these types of delusions might have manifested in people of the past?

3110 upvotes • LittleQuark

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Do we have any records of recreational drugs used in the ancient world that no longer exist?	3115	TroopersSon
In the first season of The Sopranos, one of the male characters was hesitant about performing oral sex on a woman. He said if any of his peers found out, they would think less of him and view him as a possible homosexual. Was this actually the case in mafia culture? If so, why? NSFW	3114	Knightmare25
Missionaries to Ming China reported that even beggars lived like kings did in Europe. Assuming this to be hyperbole, how prosperous was China under the height of Ming power?	3114	ShonenSuki
Was George Washington actually a good general?	3111	Xxxn00bpwnR69xxX
What led to the rise of the ubiquitous "wacky morning DJ"? When and why did radio shift to over-the-top entertainment programs?	3111	C0UNTZER0INTERRUPT
Has there ever been previous "haha funny sex/drug meme" numbers like 69 and 420 in the past? Were ancient Roman kids giggling every time 17 came up, or Sumerians over 190?	3111	semi-bro
In boot camp, recruits to the military are stripped of personalizing human characteristics (hair cut off, given identical clothes/gear, being deprived of privacy, randomly being subject to abuse). Where did this practice come from (it's clearly been thought out)? Has it evolved over time?	3110	td4999
Was Genghis Khan considered a pious and moral man by the standards of his religion?	3110	Real_Carl_Ramirez
Is moving out at 18 an artifact of World War II?	3110	JLeeSaxon
Modern-day people suffering paranoid psychosis often have delusions with modern themes, such as being targeted by government intelligence agencies. Do we have examples of how these types of delusions might have manifested in people of the past?	3110	LittleQuark