askhistorians

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In the first half of the twentieth century, hats seem to be totally ubiquitous in every single photograph or video. Was there any reason for this, other than fashion? Was there anything different that would have made hats more useful then than now?	349
Anti-semitism is sometimes called "Mankind's oldest hatred". What was anti-semitism like during antiquity? Were Jews treated differently from other minority religions in the Middle East? Or is the history of the Jews much better recorded? Both? Neither?	32
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned from 1962 to 1990. During this time, how did people hear/learn about him, and how was he able to become such an influential figure immediately upon his release from prison?	23
What is the Australian historiography of Vietnam? And how does it differ from the American one?	19
What qualities did furs from North America have that made them so desirable to Europeans? Were commonly worn clothes prior to the Fur Trade really much worse, or was it primarily an aesthetic/fashion/status thing?	14
Was everything in Medieval England really as filthy as it always is portrayed as in movies like "the King"? Wouldn't this have been quite unhygienic, and smelly?	14
Did knights ever get made fun of for their coats of arms or their sigils? Did certain elements (like a bear, or striping) go in and out of fashion?	13
Why did the space race "end" when the USA landed on the moon? Were other goals not feasible?	11
Nude bathing was relatively common in Pagan and Christian Europe throughout history. Given Islam's emphasis on cleanliness, did any Islamic societies have regular co-ed nude baths? (For ordinary people, not just for the wealthy.)	3
Rules from ancient times onwards are often referred to as "founding" towns or cities, most notably Alexander the Great. What exactly did "founding" a city entail? Who would move there? What would they do?	2

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