askhistorians

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It's sometimes said that all modern fantasy is either cribbing Tolkien or responding to him. Who, if anybody, was Tolkien cribbing and/or responding to?	100
How did the English Reformation go from a single, concrete, seemingly cynical act (the annulment of Henry VIII) to a distinct and deeply considered theology?	94
A recent CNN opinion piece claims that "for much of US history, bipartisanship was not lionized" and that only in the mid 20th century has it been something that lent any legitimacy to bills. Can this really be accurate? When did bipartisanship become a stated goal of US legislation?	94
Father Coughlin's brand of Fascism went from wielding extraordinary power and having a global reach of millions to being effectively silenced in 1939. How did the Roosevelt administration stop him?	83
Why was all the personal computer equipment from the 80s and 90s beige?	75
How much of the lack of recognition for Alan Turing's work in his lifetime was due to his homosexuality, and how much was because he was working on secret programs with a national security interest?	75
I once heard a theory that global flood myths exist in different cultures because when they were written, the small area in which they lived was all they thought existed. Is this even plausible? How aware were Mesopotamians or early Israelites that stuff existed outside of their immediate view?	69
There's a popular GIF going around right now of a small child adorably hiding from Elizabeth II when his parents met her. How would medieval and Renaissance monarchs have reacted if a young noble child was "impertinent" in their presence?	67
How did Chinese-American food become so reliant on cornstarch as an ingredient?	65
In English history, why did only Elizabeth I, Victoria, and Edward VII get eras named after them that the public uses?	64

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