/u/DB2V2's posts in /r/askhistorians

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How did Dwight D. Eisenhower go from being a Lt. Gen in 1942 to being named the Supreme Allied commander a little over a year later, and not someone else?

1191 upvotes

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How long would it have on average taken for a 1 km stretch of road to be built in the Roman Empire?

614 upvotes

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What are the origins of not placing one's elbows on a table?

531 upvotes

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Why did American Army bases become known as Forts, while Marine Corps bases became Camps?

141 upvotes

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In the English language (at least) we have silent letters. Why were these incorporated into our lexicon instead of just being left out?

95 upvotes

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Why did slapping/smacking a sports player on their butt after a good play become a thing?

68 upvotes

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Marine VS Army basic training differences during WWI-WWII time period.

45 upvotes

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Do we know the history of public nudity such as mooning, flashing, streaking, etc? When it was first used? Was there a punishment if caught? Was it meant to be serious/funny/etc? Is there anywhere it wouldn't have been considered a indecent act?

21 upvotes

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Are there any notable cases where a marooned survivor was found on an island due to a message being sent in a bottle? Or is this largely an urban myth?

18 upvotes

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Origins of clapping?

14 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
How did Dwight D. Eisenhower go from being a Lt. Gen in 1942 to being named the Supreme Allied commander a little over a year later, and not someone else?	1191
How long would it have on average taken for a 1 km stretch of road to be built in the Roman Empire?	614
What are the origins of not placing one's elbows on a table?	531
Why did American Army bases become known as Forts, while Marine Corps bases became Camps?	141
In the English language (at least) we have silent letters. Why were these incorporated into our lexicon instead of just being left out?	95
Why did slapping/smacking a sports player on their butt after a good play become a thing?	68
Marine VS Army basic training differences during WWI-WWII time period.	45
Do we know the history of public nudity such as mooning, flashing, streaking, etc? When it was first used? Was there a punishment if caught? Was it meant to be serious/funny/etc? Is there anywhere it wouldn't have been considered a indecent act?	21
Are there any notable cases where a marooned survivor was found on an island due to a message being sent in a bottle? Or is this largely an urban myth?	18
Origins of clapping?	14