/r/askhistorians

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The Nazis were unable to make the trains run on time: "By 1940, tens of thousands of freight cars were frozen in miles of log jams." Are ideas of fascist efficiency overblown? If so, where did they originate?

2799 upvotes • TendingTheirGarden

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The plague of frogs from the book of Exodus sounds pretty harmless compared to the other plagues (boils, fire, hail, etc). Is there some reason why Egyptians or Israelites would have been particularly afraid of frogs?

2799 upvotes • ZnSaucier

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"Since 1945, the USA has attempted to overthrow more than 50 foreign governments."

2798 upvotes • Pakayaro

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WIBTA If I lock my son in a rice chest and starve him until he dies? NSFW

2798 upvotes • ConfucianKingYeongjo

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When did American butchery diverge from British butchery? When did our modern cuts of steak emerge?

2795 upvotes • mrpeabodyscoaltrain

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I'm a European woman in the middle ages preparing for childbirth. What am I doing to ensure that I and my baby survive and live healthy lives?

2795 upvotes • DGBD

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Oskar Schindler saved many Jews from death in the death camps by employing them in his factory. Are there any examples of something similar happening in the US, such as a slaver owner buying up slaves in order to set them free or have them work for him and live under favourable conditions?

2795 upvotes • Pashahlis

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Joseph Allicock is the only founder of the Sons of Liberty without a wikipedia page. Almost everything I've found only mentions his name and that he was a black Sons of Liberty leader in New York. What else can you tell me?

2794 upvotes • SugeNightShyamalan

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How were sewers created in already established cities like London and Paris?

2794 upvotes • stubbjmisc

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China's first university, the Imperial University of Peking, was founded in 1898, but it surely had much older educational institutions. What distinguishes a "university" in the Western understanding from these older academies, and why did China find it necessary to establish one?

2792 upvotes • MarioTheMojoMan

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
The Nazis were unable to make the trains run on time: "By 1940, tens of thousands of freight cars were frozen in miles of log jams." Are ideas of fascist efficiency overblown? If so, where did they originate?	2799	TendingTheirGarden
The plague of frogs from the book of Exodus sounds pretty harmless compared to the other plagues (boils, fire, hail, etc). Is there some reason why Egyptians or Israelites would have been particularly afraid of frogs?	2799	ZnSaucier
"Since 1945, the USA has attempted to overthrow more than 50 foreign governments."	2798	Pakayaro
WIBTA If I lock my son in a rice chest and starve him until he dies? NSFW	2798	ConfucianKingYeongjo
When did American butchery diverge from British butchery? When did our modern cuts of steak emerge?	2795	mrpeabodyscoaltrain
I'm a European woman in the middle ages preparing for childbirth. What am I doing to ensure that I and my baby survive and live healthy lives?	2795	DGBD
Oskar Schindler saved many Jews from death in the death camps by employing them in his factory. Are there any examples of something similar happening in the US, such as a slaver owner buying up slaves in order to set them free or have them work for him and live under favourable conditions?	2795	Pashahlis
Joseph Allicock is the only founder of the Sons of Liberty without a wikipedia page. Almost everything I've found only mentions his name and that he was a black Sons of Liberty leader in New York. What else can you tell me?	2794	SugeNightShyamalan
How were sewers created in already established cities like London and Paris?	2794	stubbjmisc
China's first university, the Imperial University of Peking, was founded in 1898, but it surely had much older educational institutions. What distinguishes a "university" in the Western understanding from these older academies, and why did China find it necessary to establish one?	2792	MarioTheMojoMan