askhistorians

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How the comedy scene looked like in 19th century China? Was making fun of Westerners popular?	18
In 1890, painter Sergei Malyutin designed the first matryoshka doll inspired by Japanese doll daruma. How did a doll with foreign roots become the face of Russian folk culture?	18
How did the Italian community in the US and Canada react to the invention of the Hawaiian pizza? What were thoughts of Italians about pineapple on pizza?	18
Why Hainan was never colonized by European powers?	18
The "Swiss cuckoo speech" made by Orson Wells in "The Third Man" is almost as famous as it is wrong. Was the historical wrongness of the speech deliberate to show how deluded antagonist Harry Lime was? Was such negative sentiment against Switzerland prevalent after the WW2?	17
How did life in Judea change after the Roman conquest for a common person? By the time of Jesus' death? By the time of the Great Jewish revolt? What were the major points of contention for Jewish population beside the loss of statehood and self-determination?	17
Why did the Soviet Union chose to invade Finland in winter?	17
What were diplomatic relations between Norway and Nazi Germany before the invasion of Norway? Was it possible for Norway to secure Sweden-style "neutrality"?	16
Are there recorded instances of actual shotgun weddings - the one under a threat of violence or death - in the US? Have anyone acted on the threats if the groom did not comply? Were such marriages considered valid by law?	15
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?	15

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