AskHistorians

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How did piracy, a very specific activity, become the universally accepted metaphor for the equally specific but very different activity of intentional copyright infringement? Why not another kind of theft?	45
Often, one hears jokes about Ringo Starr being the idiot, incompetent, or otherwise laughable Beatle. When and where did this idea arise?	45
Apparently the Cuban revolutionaries, Che Guevara in particular, had a great affection for Rolex watches, with Che himself having several collections over his lifetime. Did this love of one particular luxury item create any issues for them or lead to accusations of hypocrisy?	38
What led to the rise of official "celebrity fan clubs" in the 80s and 90s? What led to their demise?	37
Poshness is the idea from at least the mid 20th century that the wealthy have distinct accents and even dialects from the lower classes. Would a medieval royal have had a different accent or dialect than one of their peasant subjects?	37
The last time Mt. Fuji erupted was 1707. What did Japanese people make of this? Was it an important cultural event with lasting impacts?	35
One of the things the US National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 did was ban the selling and buying of organs. Was there an urgent need to do this then? Was the US organ market flourishing at the time?	34
I'm struggling to find books on the Kennedy assassination that are, you know, anchored in reality. Any recommendations?	34
I'm a newly wealthy man in Britain during the high Victorian eta getting fitted for a new suit at a super fancy tailor. The tailor asks me "What side does sir dress on?" I have no idea what this means. How does the tailor clarify while maintaining propriety appropriate for the era and our station?	33
The 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake was the largest in recorded history at the time, but based on a cursory search, interest in it seems to be relegated largely to seismologists. Given the dysfunction of the USSR at the time, how did they respond to a 9.0 magnitude disaster?	32

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