/r/askhistorians

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Seven out of the ten US presidents in the period from 1869 to 1923 were from the state of Ohio, yet before or since not a single other president has been. Was this just a coincidence or was there some kind of political significance to the state at this time?

5547 upvotes • skourby

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Why are there so many medieval paintings of people battling large snails?

5545 upvotes • Telochi

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Would a Roman from 500BC have been able to understand the language of a Roman from 400AD?

5545 upvotes • awwyey

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It’s winter 1929. Stocks are crashing. But it’s not clear just how bad it will be. What did the most prepared and aware (or just lucky) individuals do to prepare for the turmoil to come?

5529 upvotes • Proffesssor

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George Orwell, an Englishman, once said that the "rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." Was gun ownership once widespread among commoners in the UK, as in the US?

5523 upvotes • [deleted]

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How confident are we that the year is actually and exactly 2016? Is it possible that at some point in the last 2000 years there were any significant timekeeping mistakes?

5522 upvotes • mathplusU

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Reading letters from history, I'm struck by how intimate and affectionate the friendships are between male friends. We find this between Hamilton and Laurens, and between Lincoln and Speed. When did men shift from writing each other love letters, to just getting together for some drinks?

5520 upvotes • penpractice

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Why didn't Norway's elite steal oil money? How did Norway manage to create and save its huge pension fund?

5515 upvotes • Evergreen_A

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Why do so many Russian surnames seem insulting or negative?

5508 upvotes • thizzacre

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Would people have gone to the beach in medieval times?

5491 upvotes • Bill-Door-64

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Seven out of the ten US presidents in the period from 1869 to 1923 were from the state of Ohio, yet before or since not a single other president has been. Was this just a coincidence or was there some kind of political significance to the state at this time?	5547	skourby
Why are there so many medieval paintings of people battling large snails?	5545	Telochi
Would a Roman from 500BC have been able to understand the language of a Roman from 400AD?	5545	awwyey
It’s winter 1929. Stocks are crashing. But it’s not clear just how bad it will be. What did the most prepared and aware (or just lucky) individuals do to prepare for the turmoil to come?	5529	Proffesssor
George Orwell, an Englishman, once said that the "rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." Was gun ownership once widespread among commoners in the UK, as in the US?	5523	[deleted]
How confident are we that the year is actually and exactly 2016? Is it possible that at some point in the last 2000 years there were any significant timekeeping mistakes?	5522	mathplusU
Reading letters from history, I'm struck by how intimate and affectionate the friendships are between male friends. We find this between Hamilton and Laurens, and between Lincoln and Speed. When did men shift from writing each other love letters, to just getting together for some drinks?	5520	penpractice
Why didn't Norway's elite steal oil money? How did Norway manage to create and save its huge pension fund?	5515	Evergreen_A
Why do so many Russian surnames seem insulting or negative?	5508	thizzacre
Would people have gone to the beach in medieval times?	5491	Bill-Door-64