/r/askhistorians

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How did apple pie become an icon of American culture, even inspiring the phrase 'as American as apple pie', when it's a popular pastry in several European countries. Especially when it's also an icon of Dutch culture, even appearing in a Dutch cookbook in 1514.

2317 upvotes • PrinceChocomel

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Apparently when shown footage of the Holocaust during the Nuremberg trials, Goering was shocked and speechless. Why would this be?

2315 upvotes • merteil

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If there had been a large empire like the Mongols' in 3000 BC, would we know about it? Could there be empires before the advent of writing that we simply don't know existed?

2315 upvotes • michiganSentry

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In 1989, the US invaded Panama under Operation Just Cause. Panama had McDonald's restaurants since 1971. How did McDonald's respond to the invasion?

2315 upvotes • PokerPirate

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Nowadays we have the concept of "vegging out" (relaxing while doing very little), but it's usually associated with TV/video games/mass media. Did similar forms of relaxation exist before the 20th century and mass media? If so, what did people do to "veg out"?

2315 upvotes • ArchipelagoMind

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Peter the Great legendarily traveled incognito during his reign, even though he was difficult to miss at 6'8. Do we have any accounts from those he met in his travels?

2314 upvotes • td4999

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How did the Salem Witch Trials become the face of historical witch hunts when European witch trials took place earlier and were more numerous?

2314 upvotes • Ser_Drunken_the_Tall

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I'm a slave and Native Americans raid and kill my master. Am I freed, killed, taken as their slave?

2313 upvotes • J2quared

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The Byzantine Cataphracts used the now extinct Nisean horse breed for their units. Were these any different in terms of combat prowess compared to the warhorses of later western European knights / heavy cavalry regiments?

2312 upvotes • theRagingEwok

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How would CIA get Soviet rubles to give to their Soviet agents?

2312 upvotes • Redthrist

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
How did apple pie become an icon of American culture, even inspiring the phrase 'as American as apple pie', when it's a popular pastry in several European countries. Especially when it's also an icon of Dutch culture, even appearing in a Dutch cookbook in 1514.	2317	PrinceChocomel
Apparently when shown footage of the Holocaust during the Nuremberg trials, Goering was shocked and speechless. Why would this be?	2315	merteil
If there had been a large empire like the Mongols' in 3000 BC, would we know about it? Could there be empires before the advent of writing that we simply don't know existed?	2315	michiganSentry
In 1989, the US invaded Panama under Operation Just Cause. Panama had McDonald's restaurants since 1971. How did McDonald's respond to the invasion?	2315	PokerPirate
Nowadays we have the concept of "vegging out" (relaxing while doing very little), but it's usually associated with TV/video games/mass media. Did similar forms of relaxation exist before the 20th century and mass media? If so, what did people do to "veg out"?	2315	ArchipelagoMind
Peter the Great legendarily traveled incognito during his reign, even though he was difficult to miss at 6'8. Do we have any accounts from those he met in his travels?	2314	td4999
How did the Salem Witch Trials become the face of historical witch hunts when European witch trials took place earlier and were more numerous?	2314	Ser_Drunken_the_Tall
I'm a slave and Native Americans raid and kill my master. Am I freed, killed, taken as their slave?	2313	J2quared
The Byzantine Cataphracts used the now extinct Nisean horse breed for their units. Were these any different in terms of combat prowess compared to the warhorses of later western European knights / heavy cavalry regiments?	2312	theRagingEwok
How would CIA get Soviet rubles to give to their Soviet agents?	2312	Redthrist