/r/askhistorians

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Did the American Italian Mafia actually offer "protection" to those from whom it collected "protection money"?

3733 upvotes • Lapazpax

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Since 1513, Denmark has alternated kings called Frederick and Christian. What is the reason for this and how has no king in over 500 years broken the tradition?

3729 upvotes • Brickie78

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In 1986, Microsoft Windows advertising stipulated Windows was available "except in Nebraska". Why?

3729 upvotes • Yazman

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What's the history of iced coffee in the United States? A 1959 episode of the Twilight Zone caught me off guard when an "Iced Coffee" sign appeared behind the clerk.

3726 upvotes • bodombeachbod

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Both Philadelphia and Boston appear to be much more historically significant than NYC and, in 1776, Philly was the nation's most populated by a significant margin at 40,000 people (NYC at 25,000). What led to NYC becoming America's quintessential city over places like Philly or Boston?

3723 upvotes • austinlovespie

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My mom doesn't like the movie "The Revenant" because she claims words like "Shit" and "Fuck" weren't in an early 19th century man's lexicon. When did these words enter our lexicon? NSFW

3719 upvotes • SamuraiRake

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I'm attached to mercenary Swiss Pike company in the high middle ages. We step through a wormhole and wind up squaring off against a Macedonian phalanx. Forget who wins. Has much changed in the use of a pike? Or are we essentially the same infantry a couple millenia apart?

3719 upvotes • RexAddison

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Germany lost 13% of it's European territory after WW1, and roughly 25% of its territory after WW2 which largely make up modern day Poland and Kaliningrad. What happened to all the Germans living in those areas?

3717 upvotes • ChaDefinitelyFeel

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The Epic of Gilgamesh was rediscovered in 1853. How did the Victorian sensibilities of the time react to its very frank depictions of sexuality?

3714 upvotes • antiolrach

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In early history of North American settlement, Authorities often worried about settlers leaving to join local Native groups because they preferred that life style. Do we have any Native sources that talk about these people? And how they felt about them?

3711 upvotes • TheHondoGod

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Title	Upvotes	Author	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Did the American Italian Mafia actually offer "protection" to those from whom it collected "protection money"?	3733	Lapazpax
Since 1513, Denmark has alternated kings called Frederick and Christian. What is the reason for this and how has no king in over 500 years broken the tradition?	3729	Brickie78
In 1986, Microsoft Windows advertising stipulated Windows was available "except in Nebraska". Why?	3729	Yazman
What's the history of iced coffee in the United States? A 1959 episode of the Twilight Zone caught me off guard when an "Iced Coffee" sign appeared behind the clerk.	3726	bodombeachbod
Both Philadelphia and Boston appear to be much more historically significant than NYC and, in 1776, Philly was the nation's most populated by a significant margin at 40,000 people (NYC at 25,000). What led to NYC becoming America's quintessential city over places like Philly or Boston?	3723	austinlovespie
My mom doesn't like the movie "The Revenant" because she claims words like "Shit" and "Fuck" weren't in an early 19th century man's lexicon. When did these words enter our lexicon? NSFW	3719	SamuraiRake
I'm attached to mercenary Swiss Pike company in the high middle ages. We step through a wormhole and wind up squaring off against a Macedonian phalanx. Forget who wins. Has much changed in the use of a pike? Or are we essentially the same infantry a couple millenia apart?	3719	RexAddison
Germany lost 13% of it's European territory after WW1, and roughly 25% of its territory after WW2 which largely make up modern day Poland and Kaliningrad. What happened to all the Germans living in those areas?	3717	ChaDefinitelyFeel
The Epic of Gilgamesh was rediscovered in 1853. How did the Victorian sensibilities of the time react to its very frank depictions of sexuality?	3714	antiolrach
In early history of North American settlement, Authorities often worried about settlers leaving to join local Native groups because they preferred that life style. Do we have any Native sources that talk about these people? And how they felt about them?	3711	TheHondoGod