/r/askhistorians

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If you were to make an alternative to BC/AD, what point in history would you start with for year 1? What's the first human milestone that you can accurately date?

1039 upvotes • thisissamsaxton

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In a CNN interview a few years ago, Sir Ian McKellen mentioned that "some of the earliest marriages conducted by the Christian church were between men" and homophobic attitudes are "sort of Victorian". How much does this hold true?

1039 upvotes • kingification

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Serial killer Albert Fish's letter sent to one of his victim's mother mentioned that in the late 1800s a friend of his went to China, witnessed mass trade of human children for food/cannibilism, resulting in his taste for human flesh when he came back. How accurate is this? NSFW

1039 upvotes • DEATH-BY-CIRCLEJERK

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Why did France make Algeria an integral part of France unlike other African possessions of France?

1039 upvotes • edenapple

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Confucius died when Socrates was 10, how aware were the Greeks of the Chinese or vice versa?

1038 upvotes • jexen

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Was "boiling oil" ever regularly used in siege warfare, or is this a myth, or something that only happened a few times?

1038 upvotes • rawrgyle

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As I understand it, ancient Greece had a pantheon of gods and goddesses, but Plato refers to God as a singular entity in his dialogues. What is behind this discrepancy in theological concepts, and how did ancient Greek philosophers conceptualize "God" if not through the pantheon?

1038 upvotes • post_it_notes

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Nowadays it is common for kids to have a phase where they are fascinated with dinosaurs. How long has this been a typical "children's interest" subject, and where does the trend come from?

1038 upvotes • Iphikrates

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In the Quran, Mohammed's family are referred to as "Hanifs" - members of a sect of monotheists, who were neither Jewish nor Christian. What were the beliefs of these Hanifs, and how were they different from Jews and Christians?

1038 upvotes • RowenMhmd

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Two maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi are famous — "Know Thyself," and "Nothing in Excess". But the third is rarely mentioned and opaque — "A Pledge Brings Trouble." Do we know what was behind this third cryptic maxim, and why the Greeks thought it was important?

1038 upvotes • RusticBohemian

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
If you were to make an alternative to BC/AD, what point in history would you start with for year 1? What's the first human milestone that you can accurately date?	1039	thisissamsaxton
In a CNN interview a few years ago, Sir Ian McKellen mentioned that "some of the earliest marriages conducted by the Christian church were between men" and homophobic attitudes are "sort of Victorian". How much does this hold true?	1039	kingification
Serial killer Albert Fish's letter sent to one of his victim's mother mentioned that in the late 1800s a friend of his went to China, witnessed mass trade of human children for food/cannibilism, resulting in his taste for human flesh when he came back. How accurate is this? NSFW	1039	DEATH-BY-CIRCLEJERK
Why did France make Algeria an integral part of France unlike other African possessions of France?	1039	edenapple
Confucius died when Socrates was 10, how aware were the Greeks of the Chinese or vice versa?	1038	jexen
Was "boiling oil" ever regularly used in siege warfare, or is this a myth, or something that only happened a few times?	1038	rawrgyle
As I understand it, ancient Greece had a pantheon of gods and goddesses, but Plato refers to God as a singular entity in his dialogues. What is behind this discrepancy in theological concepts, and how did ancient Greek philosophers conceptualize "God" if not through the pantheon?	1038	post_it_notes
Nowadays it is common for kids to have a phase where they are fascinated with dinosaurs. How long has this been a typical "children's interest" subject, and where does the trend come from?	1038	Iphikrates
In the Quran, Mohammed's family are referred to as "Hanifs" - members of a sect of monotheists, who were neither Jewish nor Christian. What were the beliefs of these Hanifs, and how were they different from Jews and Christians?	1038	RowenMhmd
Two maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi are famous — "Know Thyself," and "Nothing in Excess". But the third is rarely mentioned and opaque — "A Pledge Brings Trouble." Do we know what was behind this third cryptic maxim, and why the Greeks thought it was important?	1038	RusticBohemian