askhistorians

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What was the public reaction when, in 1924, Hubble discovered that our galaxy was not the entire universe, but rather one minute component of a vastly larger cosmos?	3835
In the 2018 period comedy-drama film, "The Favourite", set in Great Britain in 1708, various of the lords/politicians are depicted as wearing large amounts of makeup. Was this a historical practice of the time in reality? If so, when did the practice begin and subsequently fall out of fashion?	1089
The series Vikings depicts ritual sacrifice candidates as going willingly, even eagerly, to their deaths. Is there are historical evidence suggesting that such willingness or eagerness existed in ancient Nordic religion?	861
How did a fringe religious group (Christian Science) go on to become the publisher of a widely respected and multiple Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper?	83
In the new season of Netflix's The Crown, Elizabeth II is shown making thinly disguised remarks regarding Sir Anthony Blunt's being a KGB spy during her speech at an event in his honour. Did the Queen really make such remarks, and if so, was there any public speculation about it?	22
In The Last Kingdom, Alfred the Great is depicted as being a particularly religious king. Is his devout Christianity supported by historical evidence?	20
In the documentary series, A Stitch in Time (2018), it is suggested that Charles II of England shifted his fashion style from the traditional luxury of prior kings to a simpler style in order to be a "man of the people". Is there evidence to suggest that this was his intention?	20
The TV series "The Last Kingdom" depicts Alfred the Great as wearing a crown containing the fleur-de-lis. Was this symbol used by English monarchs before the Norman conquest?	17
Historian Giselle Byrnes states that until the early 2000s, the Treaty of Waitangi was virtually absent from school curricula in New Zealand. How accurate is that statement and why was such a significant part of NZ history omitted from education?	8
From researching my English family history from the 15th to the 17th centuries, I have found that some of my ancestors that the rank of "esquire (esq.)" but did not seem to ever progress to knighthood. What did holding the rank of "esquire" entail within the broader social hierarchy of the time?	1

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