askhistorians

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How common was pony ownership among Polish Jews in the early to mid 20th century? (Question inspired by the Seinfeld episode "The Pony Remark," where Jerry puts his foot (hoof?) in his mouth by expressing his hatred of kids who had ponies, which offends his elderly Polish-born relative). (Attempt 3)	60
Why did so many NBA teams overhaul their logo and jersey designs in the 1990s? Were such changes decided by each team individually or imposed from the top down? Also, was it a coincidence that three of the most iconic teams (the Bulls, Celtics, and Lakers) only minimally changed their visual image?	60
In Home Alone (1990), Gus Polinski (the kind, quirky "Polka King of the Midwest" played by John Candy) mentions having had regional success in the Midwest in the 1970s. Was there a real Midwest Polka fad in the 70s and 80s that Gus's "elevator speech" was referencing or parodying?	59
Did the pre-Christian Goths worship the same gods as their North Germanic and West Germanic counterparts? If so, what did they call them?	59
How did Ireland's Magdalene laundries manage to exist well into the 1990s? I'd think such institutions would have already felt acutely anachronistic at least two or three decades earlier.	58
Where does black metal corpse paint come from? I've seen BM musicians claim it came from Old Norse Berserkers, but that strikes me as a sneaky attempt to assign a romantic, venerable, pagan origin to what would much more easily and credibly be explained by... Kiss, King Diamond, and Celtic Frost.	58
Given Rage Against the Machine's prominent use of Che Guevara's image, how was rock music regarded both by Che himself and by the political class overall in the early years of Cuba under Castro?	57
Did the French Revolution and the subsequent wars of independence throughout Spanish America in the 1810s and 1820s ever inspire any notable anti-monarchist revolutionary movement in Spain itself shortly thereafter? If yes, why didn't it succeed?	57
How did Cinco de mayo become such a widely celebrated holiday in the US when it's pretty modestly observed in Mexico itself (except perhaps in the state of Puebla, where the battle it commemorates took place)?	56
I just finished reading an 1803 English novel that mentions Mexico. I had thought that the name was rarely used to refer to what's now Mexico before it became independent. What can you tell me about the use of the name "Mexico" for all of New Spain before independence?	55

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