/u/ThomasRaith's posts

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How did 0-60 become the standard by which a car's acceleration is judged? Why did 60mph become synonymous with "fast"?

2927 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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The famous "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match was held in Zaire at 4 in the morning. What led to the fight being held in one of the most violent, poverty stricken countries on Earth?

2101 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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From "Caribbean Queen" to "Careless Whisper", the saxophone solo was a big part of many 80's pop hits. What led to this particular piece of brass becoming so ubiquitous to the music of this era?

835 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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In Matthew 14, the apostles are afraid they will drown in a storm on the sea of Galilee. This "Sea" is just a large lake, less than half the size of Lake Tahoe. Would 1st Century fisherman really be at risk in such a small body of water?

398 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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When Bill and Ted met Socrates, he said "Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." Would Socrates have owned an hourglass? How common would they have been in Athens?

134 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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John Quincy Adams took the oath of office on a book of Constitutional Law. How big was this book? How much Constitutional Law was established in 1825?

111 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Why did witches float? Meaning, why couldn't anyone else swim?

90 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Why is Maine the shape that it is? Why does the US-Canada border not follow the St. Lawrence River?

55 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Who would have owned the Antikythera Mechanism?

51 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Many mythic heroes (Hercules, Sampson, etc) slew lions as testaments to their prowess. Would the audience of these stories in the Mediterranean know what a lion looked like? Would the average person have encountered one in their life?

28 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Title	Upvotes	Subreddit	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
How did 0-60 become the standard by which a car's acceleration is judged? Why did 60mph become synonymous with "fast"?	2927	AskHistorians
The famous "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match was held in Zaire at 4 in the morning. What led to the fight being held in one of the most violent, poverty stricken countries on Earth?	2101	AskHistorians
From "Caribbean Queen" to "Careless Whisper", the saxophone solo was a big part of many 80's pop hits. What led to this particular piece of brass becoming so ubiquitous to the music of this era?	835	AskHistorians
In Matthew 14, the apostles are afraid they will drown in a storm on the sea of Galilee. This "Sea" is just a large lake, less than half the size of Lake Tahoe. Would 1st Century fisherman really be at risk in such a small body of water?	398	AskHistorians
When Bill and Ted met Socrates, he said "Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." Would Socrates have owned an hourglass? How common would they have been in Athens?	134	AskHistorians
John Quincy Adams took the oath of office on a book of Constitutional Law. How big was this book? How much Constitutional Law was established in 1825?	111	AskHistorians
Why did witches float? Meaning, why couldn't anyone else swim?	90	AskHistorians
Why is Maine the shape that it is? Why does the US-Canada border not follow the St. Lawrence River?	55	AskHistorians
Who would have owned the Antikythera Mechanism?	51	AskHistorians
Many mythic heroes (Hercules, Sampson, etc) slew lions as testaments to their prowess. Would the audience of these stories in the Mediterranean know what a lion looked like? Would the average person have encountered one in their life?	28	AskHistorians