/r/askhistorians

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In the movie The Northman, a woman deters a would-be rapist by smearing menstrual blood in his face. Did the Norse have some superstition around menstrual blood, or was she just doing it to gross him out? NSFW

1648 upvotes • Jerswar

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It's 1956, the first trans-Atlantic telephone cable has been laid! I can afford it and i want to call my relatives in Italy. How does the money get distributed as my call bounces around?

1648 upvotes • Spaceisveryhard

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Is there credible evidence that Putin and Russian intelligence services orchestrated the 1998 Moscow apartment bombings? What is the general consensus among historians on this topic?

1647 upvotes • TryingToBeHere

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I am a common citizen of Uruk in 2900BC, in its Golden Age. What does my house look like?

1647 upvotes • KrishaCZ

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A prominent Serbian archaeologist said that information about tribes attacking the limes in Caledonia would reach the senate in Rome in about three hours using a system of flags. Is there any truth to this claim?

1646 upvotes • Kutili

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Today, around 20 US veterans commit suicide each day. Do we know what the suicide rate was in decades past? What was the suicide rate among veterans during and after The Vietnam War? What about during WW1, WW2, The Civil War, and other military conflicts?

1646 upvotes • Im_Not_Daredevil

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How did the great Byzantine silkworm heist work, and how much impact did it have on the Silk Road?

1646 upvotes • RusticBohemian

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The Wikipedia article for the G.I. Movement claims that over 600 officers were killed in "fraggings" (American servicemen killing officers) during the Vietnam War, and the linked source doesn't work properly. Is that number correct?

1646 upvotes • sweaty_garbage

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I recently read a quote saying people die twice. The first when they physically die and the second when the last person that knows their name dies. So who's the oldest person we know the name of?

1645 upvotes • 1point5volts

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According to some /badhistory posts, the treaty of Versailles wasn't that harsh at all in comparison to other treaties. The general idea is that Germany's "crisis" was not a factor for WWII, and in fact this crisis was sort of a lie by Hitler and nazis to go to war. How right is this angle?

1644 upvotes • JanJenJin

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
In the movie The Northman, a woman deters a would-be rapist by smearing menstrual blood in his face. Did the Norse have some superstition around menstrual blood, or was she just doing it to gross him out? NSFW	1648	Jerswar
It's 1956, the first trans-Atlantic telephone cable has been laid! I can afford it and i want to call my relatives in Italy. How does the money get distributed as my call bounces around?	1648	Spaceisveryhard
Is there credible evidence that Putin and Russian intelligence services orchestrated the 1998 Moscow apartment bombings? What is the general consensus among historians on this topic?	1647	TryingToBeHere
I am a common citizen of Uruk in 2900BC, in its Golden Age. What does my house look like?	1647	KrishaCZ
A prominent Serbian archaeologist said that information about tribes attacking the limes in Caledonia would reach the senate in Rome in about three hours using a system of flags. Is there any truth to this claim?	1646	Kutili
Today, around 20 US veterans commit suicide each day. Do we know what the suicide rate was in decades past? What was the suicide rate among veterans during and after The Vietnam War? What about during WW1, WW2, The Civil War, and other military conflicts?	1646	Im_Not_Daredevil
How did the great Byzantine silkworm heist work, and how much impact did it have on the Silk Road?	1646	RusticBohemian
The Wikipedia article for the G.I. Movement claims that over 600 officers were killed in "fraggings" (American servicemen killing officers) during the Vietnam War, and the linked source doesn't work properly. Is that number correct?	1646	sweaty_garbage
I recently read a quote saying people die twice. The first when they physically die and the second when the last person that knows their name dies. So who's the oldest person we know the name of?	1645	1point5volts
According to some /badhistory posts, the treaty of Versailles wasn't that harsh at all in comparison to other treaties. The general idea is that Germany's "crisis" was not a factor for WWII, and in fact this crisis was sort of a lie by Hitler and nazis to go to war. How right is this angle?	1644	JanJenJin