askhistorians

Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
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?	51
Aokigahara forest and the Golden Gate Bridge are two of many suicide sites across the world. Are suicide sites modern phenomenon? If so, what were popular places to commit suicide in Ancient Rome and Greece?	48
Had Leopold II of Belgium a history of corruption prior colonization of Congo? Was the Congo Free State his first shady endeavor?	47
In June 1913, a Russian fleet carrying troops and led by the archbishop of Vologda have invaded Mount Athos (now Greece) to purge heresy imiaslavie. What happened there? What in that heresy imiaslavie warranted such drastic actions?	46
Have the economic divide between Northern and Southern Italy existed during the time of the Roman Empire?	42
What is the history of the "Fugu Plan", the Japanese plan to resettle Jewish refugees into Japanese controlled territories? Have the plan existed, or it was more a collection of ideas? Was the Shanghai Ghetto was a part of its implementation?	39
Since its invention in 1962, Hawaiian pizza became a topic of contention. What made Hawaiian pizza so controversial? How did the Italian community in the US and Canada react to the invention of Hawaiian pizza?	33
When and why suicide became a sin in Christianity?	32
How did a Christian cross look like in 2 century AD? Was a cross been a primary symbol of worship by this point?	29
On 3 July 1988, missile cruiser USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 killing all 290 passengers aboard. What was an American ship doing in Iranian territorial waters? What was the decision process that led to shooting? Were people responsible actually awarded for it?	29

« < > »