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

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Nowadays we look back at Victorian capitalists like Vanderbilt or Morgan in a pretty negative light. "Robber Barons", etc. But at the time, did they have "fans" like Elon Musk does today? Were they as visible in the media as people like Musk or Bezos are today?

2356 upvotes

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What's the origin of a muted trombone going "wah wah waahhhhh" as a sound effect for somebody failing?

2267 upvotes

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How much credence should I put in the "Santa Claus = Siberian mushroom shaman" story I hear every year?

1493 upvotes

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How come Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights wasn't seen as sacreligious? I mean, it's full of weird imagery that isn't in the bible. He's almost retconning Genesis. Was that okay at the time?

1418 upvotes

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Mr. Gatling suggested to a friend that his gun was such a superior weapon that it would make large armies unnecessary, leading to fewer and less deadly battles. It clearly did not. Do we know what Mr. Gatling thought of his gun in later years?

1409 upvotes

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The fascinating show "Tudor Monastery" mentioned that 25% of Tudor era harvests failed, but they didn't say why. So why?

286 upvotes

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There have been more than a couple mentally ill monarchs throughout history. I'm most interested in Charles II of Spain, but there's Charles VI of France, Otto of Bavaria, etc. How did these courts function? Who made sure all the proper "king stuff" got done?

152 upvotes

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Who was the first female black celebrity in the US to wear natural hair?

58 upvotes

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What's the deal with pointy bras in the 1950's?

43 upvotes

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If someone was sentenced to be stuck in a pillory, and as one of the townspeople I threw a stone at him and killed him, what kind of trouble would I be in?

43 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
Nowadays we look back at Victorian capitalists like Vanderbilt or Morgan in a pretty negative light. "Robber Barons", etc. But at the time, did they have "fans" like Elon Musk does today? Were they as visible in the media as people like Musk or Bezos are today?	2356
What's the origin of a muted trombone going "wah wah waahhhhh" as a sound effect for somebody failing?	2267
How much credence should I put in the "Santa Claus = Siberian mushroom shaman" story I hear every year?	1493
How come Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights wasn't seen as sacreligious? I mean, it's full of weird imagery that isn't in the bible. He's almost retconning Genesis. Was that okay at the time?	1418
Mr. Gatling suggested to a friend that his gun was such a superior weapon that it would make large armies unnecessary, leading to fewer and less deadly battles. It clearly did not. Do we know what Mr. Gatling thought of his gun in later years?	1409
The fascinating show "Tudor Monastery" mentioned that 25% of Tudor era harvests failed, but they didn't say why. So why?	286
There have been more than a couple mentally ill monarchs throughout history. I'm most interested in Charles II of Spain, but there's Charles VI of France, Otto of Bavaria, etc. How did these courts function? Who made sure all the proper "king stuff" got done?	152
Who was the first female black celebrity in the US to wear natural hair?	58
What's the deal with pointy bras in the 1950's?	43
If someone was sentenced to be stuck in a pillory, and as one of the townspeople I threw a stone at him and killed him, what kind of trouble would I be in?	43