askhistorians

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Coffee was first cultivated in Ethiopia, first brewed as a drink in Yemen, and was first introduced to Europe by the Turks. How then did "Java", an Indonesian island, become the source of a popular name for the drink while no other place had that happen?	3611
Elizabeth I's virginity was widely celebrated in England during her reign. Why? Several decades earlier Henry VIII's inability to produce a male heir was a major issue during his reign. What caused this change in opinion? Was Elizabeth I ever criticized for purposefully "ending the Tudor dynasty"?	3223
Did Confederate leaders see slavery lasting indefinitely? Were there plans to eventually phase-out the institution years down the line after the Civil War, or was it assumed that it would last forever?	2747
Terminator 2 takes place in 1995 and a character is baffled by the idea of Skynet launching a nuclear strike at Russia because "They're our friends now". T2 was released in summer 1991 prior to the end of the Cold War. Would the average American think that we'd be friends with Russia in a few years?	2609
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Etc. Why did older novels commonly have subtitles like this? When and why did this practice fall out of favor?	2546
The 1931 film Frankenstein begins with a warning to the audience that the studio thinks it's too scary, and audiences might be shocked. Was this merely a marketing gimmick, or did Universal truly believe that the film was so scary compared to other films that it warranted a warning to audiences?	1964
Did Caesar have some sort of endgame in mind? Were there any specific policy goals he wished to enact as dictator? Did he want to restore the monarchy and declare himself King of Rome? Or was he just kind of winging it the whole time?	1015
Did the people of the earliest civilizations (Egypt, Mesopotamia, etc.) have a concept of their history? Did they recognize the fact that their way of life was radically different from that of their recent ancestors and that they were the first civilization?	1010
"Byzantine" is often used as an adjective to describe something that's complex and intricate. Were Byzantine laws really complex compared to those of contemporary states?	855
Did Justinian intend for reconquered Western Roman territory to be reestablished as a formal "Western Roman Empire", with it's own Emperor and authority, or did he intend on being the sole ruler of a united empire, reversing the division of the Roman Empire from centuries ago?	684

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