/r/askhistorians

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In 97 CE, the Chinese military ambassador Gan Ying was sent on a mission to Rome, but stopped at an ocean west of Parthia after some sailors told him the ocean was too big to cross. How would he have communicated with these sailors without a common language or interpreter?

763 upvotes • thestickystickman

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"Back in my day, things were made to last" - was it ever true? When did planned obsolence become a thing?

762 upvotes • InevitableComfort7

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When did writing diaries become "unmanly" or "gay" or "feminine"

762 upvotes • -krizu

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Hitler envisioned a thousand year Reich. How did he plan for power to shift during these years after his death? Would it be dynastical, inherited by future children like a Feudal Kingdom/Empire, or "democratically" between senior officials of the Party voting for a new Führer?

762 upvotes • Cogito96

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In the Secret History of the Mongols there are passages which tell of conversations Genghis Khan had with other foreign dignitaries, what language would they speak?

762 upvotes • WildBuffalo

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For those, (if any) versed in mediaeval eastern history, what was the historical significance of the Tibetan Empire, and how did it impact the world?

762 upvotes • blaertes

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With the American Civil War occurring less than 90 years after the birth of the USA, did people and governments, domestically and abroad start to think that the United States was a bad idea or destined to fail?

761 upvotes • amrbean

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After the Great Depression, was there a general hatred or disdain for the generation which 'caused' the crash, similar to current Millennial views of the Boomer Generation?

761 upvotes • ProfessorPaulKrugman

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It's often remarked that author H.P. Lovecraft was incredibly racist even for his time, just how racist was he in comparison to his contemporaries?

761 upvotes • _will_sex_for_food

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Are these real Restoration England sex terms? NSFW

761 upvotes • starrifier

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
In 97 CE, the Chinese military ambassador Gan Ying was sent on a mission to Rome, but stopped at an ocean west of Parthia after some sailors told him the ocean was too big to cross. How would he have communicated with these sailors without a common language or interpreter?	763	thestickystickman
"Back in my day, things were made to last" - was it ever true? When did planned obsolence become a thing?	762	InevitableComfort7
When did writing diaries become "unmanly" or "gay" or "feminine"	762	-krizu
Hitler envisioned a thousand year Reich. How did he plan for power to shift during these years after his death? Would it be dynastical, inherited by future children like a Feudal Kingdom/Empire, or "democratically" between senior officials of the Party voting for a new Führer?	762	Cogito96
In the Secret History of the Mongols there are passages which tell of conversations Genghis Khan had with other foreign dignitaries, what language would they speak?	762	WildBuffalo
For those, (if any) versed in mediaeval eastern history, what was the historical significance of the Tibetan Empire, and how did it impact the world?	762	blaertes
With the American Civil War occurring less than 90 years after the birth of the USA, did people and governments, domestically and abroad start to think that the United States was a bad idea or destined to fail?	761	amrbean
After the Great Depression, was there a general hatred or disdain for the generation which 'caused' the crash, similar to current Millennial views of the Boomer Generation?	761	ProfessorPaulKrugman
It's often remarked that author H.P. Lovecraft was incredibly racist even for his time, just how racist was he in comparison to his contemporaries?	761	_will_sex_for_food
Are these real Restoration England sex terms? NSFW	761	starrifier