askhistorians

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In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first ever FIFA World Cup with the finals attended by almost 70 thousand football fans. Why was Uruguay chosen to host the first World Cup? How many foreigners arrived to see matches?	393
Death of English playwright Peter Anthony Motteux in 1718 was one of the first recorded instances of autoerotic asphyxiation. For how long it was known that oxygen deprivation leads to sexual arousal? Do we have any evidence that (auto)erotic asphyxiation was practiced in the Roman era?	323
In popular imagination Ivan "the Terrible" is an archetypical mad, cruel and tyrannical ruler. How warranted this reputation? How much his actions were outside of norms compared to contemporary monarchs of Europe?	293
In 1651, Knights Hospitaller have acquired four islands in the Carribean, controlling them until 1665. How did Hospitallers manage to establish colonies in the New World? What was their long-term plan for Carribean holdings?	205
Jacob Fugger is often called "the richest man ever lived". How did Fuggers (i.e. Rothschilds of the 15th and 16th centuries) gain their riches? To which extent they influenced politics of Habsburg empire? Why did they lose their influence?	193
Prominent Jesuits as Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier were Basques. What drove Basques to become Jesuits? How the socio-religious situation of the Basque country influenced the creation of the Society of Jesus?	192
In the Soviet Union, only male homosexualism (muzhelozhstvo) had been illegal while lesbianism was not, being instead designated as a mental illness. Where this discrepancy comes from? Has the Soviet society treated gays and lesbians differently?	188
El Salvador, the nation of 6 million, has more murders than the entire EU. What made Latin America so violent? Is it a legacy of colonialism or a newer development?	181
The Great Fire of Smyrna that began on 13 September 1922 claimed up to 100,000 lives, mostly Greeks and Armenians, and essentially ended the land part of the Greco-Turkish War. Who is responsible for starting the fire? What made the fire so destructive?	169
During the Vietnam War, the Soviet Union had 16 casualties. Who were those people? Have Americans actually encountered Soviets during the war?	168

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