/u/AlexLuis's posts in /r/AskHistorians

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What is the oldest reference to the shape of the Italian peninsula resembling a boot?

1149 upvotes

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Is there any relation between the medieval pointy "Jewish Hat" and the typical pointy wizard hat?

112 upvotes

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How did the English language supplant the Irish language in Ireland? Was it a deliberate effort by the English?

111 upvotes

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Wikipedia says that Adlai Stevenson in the 1956 presidential election "held no office and had no real base" and yet he still received 42% percent of the vote, more than 20 million. Who were those voters?

65 upvotes

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What words were used to describe a person that took pleasure in other's pain before the Marquis de Sade and sadism?

58 upvotes

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The "Magical Girl" genre of anime was famously created after the success of Bewitched in Japan. Is there a similar origin story to any other genres?

40 upvotes

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Why do Macau and Hong Kong have so few native Portuguese/English speakers despite being colonies for over 400/150 years?

39 upvotes

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Why was "I Was a Communist for the F.B.I.", a dramatic film, nominated for the Best Documentary category in the 1952 Oscars?

28 upvotes

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According to Wikipedia there were 80,000 Jews living in New York City in 1880. By 1920 that number reached 1,600,000. What caused such a massive spike in Jewish immigration?

26 upvotes

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If the Meiji Restoration was meant to restore the emperor's power and authority, why did he move to Edo/Tokyo instead of the government moving back to Kyoto?

26 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
What is the oldest reference to the shape of the Italian peninsula resembling a boot?	1149
Is there any relation between the medieval pointy "Jewish Hat" and the typical pointy wizard hat?	112
How did the English language supplant the Irish language in Ireland? Was it a deliberate effort by the English?	111
Wikipedia says that Adlai Stevenson in the 1956 presidential election "held no office and had no real base" and yet he still received 42% percent of the vote, more than 20 million. Who were those voters?	65
What words were used to describe a person that took pleasure in other's pain before the Marquis de Sade and sadism?	58
The "Magical Girl" genre of anime was famously created after the success of Bewitched in Japan. Is there a similar origin story to any other genres?	40
Why do Macau and Hong Kong have so few native Portuguese/English speakers despite being colonies for over 400/150 years?	39
Why was "I Was a Communist for the F.B.I.", a dramatic film, nominated for the Best Documentary category in the 1952 Oscars?	28
According to Wikipedia there were 80,000 Jews living in New York City in 1880. By 1920 that number reached 1,600,000. What caused such a massive spike in Jewish immigration?	26
If the Meiji Restoration was meant to restore the emperor's power and authority, why did he move to Edo/Tokyo instead of the government moving back to Kyoto?	26