/u/Stuck_In_the_Matrix's posts in /r/askhistorians

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At one point in the United States (Late 1800's until early 1900's), Heroin and Cocaine could be purchased over the counter legally. Was there massive societal problems during this time period with these drugs? Were there a lot of addicts?

2459 upvotes

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Why did Ronald Reagan start the tradition of saluting military members and is it technically incorrect for a president to do so?

148 upvotes

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How did the burning of Alexandria Library affect the academic world? Did it really set back progress to any quantifiable degree?

126 upvotes

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What relationship did Praetorian Guards have with military officers? Were they still in the military or more like our secret service today? Did they hold as must esteem as Roman generals?

118 upvotes

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What is the origin of smashing a bottle of booze against a new ship? Did other cultures do something different when new ships were launched?

61 upvotes

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Have museums always been a part of every major culture? Did the Romans have museums? Did they serve the same purpose as our museums do today?

60 upvotes

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If humans have been around for approximately 200,000 years, why was the first civilization (Mesopotamia) relatively recent (~5000 B.C.)?

56 upvotes

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If Homo Sapiens have been around for 200,000 years, and the first civilization was around 5,000 years ago, what were we doing for the other 195,000 years?

49 upvotes

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What is the history of the rank "captain?" Why is an Army Captain a lower rank than a Navy Captain?

42 upvotes

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How did the telegraph industry respond to the creation of the telephone and to radio? What changes (in terms of rates and services) were made to compete? When was the telegraph made obsolete?

41 upvotes

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Title	Upvotes	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
At one point in the United States (Late 1800's until early 1900's), Heroin and Cocaine could be purchased over the counter legally. Was there massive societal problems during this time period with these drugs? Were there a lot of addicts?	2459
Why did Ronald Reagan start the tradition of saluting military members and is it technically incorrect for a president to do so?	148
How did the burning of Alexandria Library affect the academic world? Did it really set back progress to any quantifiable degree?	126
What relationship did Praetorian Guards have with military officers? Were they still in the military or more like our secret service today? Did they hold as must esteem as Roman generals?	118
What is the origin of smashing a bottle of booze against a new ship? Did other cultures do something different when new ships were launched?	61
Have museums always been a part of every major culture? Did the Romans have museums? Did they serve the same purpose as our museums do today?	60
If humans have been around for approximately 200,000 years, why was the first civilization (Mesopotamia) relatively recent (~5000 B.C.)?	56
If Homo Sapiens have been around for 200,000 years, and the first civilization was around 5,000 years ago, what were we doing for the other 195,000 years?	49
What is the history of the rank "captain?" Why is an Army Captain a lower rank than a Navy Captain?	42
How did the telegraph industry respond to the creation of the telephone and to radio? What changes (in terms of rates and services) were made to compete? When was the telegraph made obsolete?	41