askhistorians

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Popular narratives of the fall of communism in Europe almost totally ignore Slovenia, even though it is arguably the wealthiest, most successful post-communist state. How did Slovenia do so well?	144
In 1912, four men ran for President -- three progressives and one socialist. Why was 1912 so progressive?	60
How did ancient Egyptians not realize the brain is the seat of consciousness? They weren't stupid: surely they would have realized that head injuries correlated with decreased mental faculties?	37
"Hail Columbia" was the unofficial national anthem of America at one point. Now it's totally forgotten, obscure even compared to other patriotic songs. How did this happen?	22
For most of English royal history, infidelity was tacitly accepted but divorce was a major taboo. By Prince Charles's time, however, the reverse is true: more people were angry when he cheated on Diana than when he eventually divorced her. What accounts for this shift?	19
Right before his death, Communist dictator Janos Kadar delivered a rambling public speech about his deep guilt over executing his friend Imre Nagy. What exactly did he say and where can I learn more about this?	17
Throughout various historical contexts, Jesuits are depicted as either near-heretical leftists or reactionary arch-conservatives. Why is there such a variation?	14
How did ancient Egyptians not realize the brain is the seat of consciousness? Surely they would have noticed a correlation between head injuries and mental faculties?	8
LBJ and Nixon both came from humble working-class backgrounds, and both lost elections to JFK, the young flashy playboy from a rich, well-connected family. How did class factor into the relationships between these presidents?	6
Irish-Americans infamously funded the IRA during The Troubles. Why didn't Scotch-Irish Americans fund the UVF?	6

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