AskHistorians

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A powerful solar flare hit Earth in 1859 causing auroras and the largest geomagnetic storm on record. What did people think of this "Carrington Event"? Did it lead to fears of the apocalypse?	10
Truffles are highly priced as the "black and white gold" and "diamonds of the kitchen”. When and how did they become such a delicacy for elites? Were truffles more widely available before this?	10
1st diss song: Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" from 1880 used cannons to mock Napoleon's retreat during the French invasion of Russia. How did the public react to this work? Did the musical use of cannons/fire weapons catch on?	9
Why are there less well-known Classical Music works and operas from the Iberian Peninsula than from other European regions?	8
Research into synesthesia took off mostly in the 20th century. Do we have earlier accounts of people experiencing e.g. sounds as colors, or colors as emotions? (How) was this explained?	8
How did Jazz and other "Western" musical genres become so popular in Japan?	8
There were some very successful female painters in the Baroque like Artemisia Gentileschi and Clara Peeters. How did they manage to learn their trade? Was this a particularly inclusive time for female artists in parts of Europe?	8
How were the rights of aboriginal people controlled in colonial Australia? (How) did colonial policies influence their treatment after independence?	6
The first sound movie The Jazz Singer (1927) revolves around a Jewish singer performing in blackface. Was there wider cultural exchange between Jewish and Africa American communities going on at the time, e.g. in music or theatre?	6
I only recently learnt about the East Timor genocide. How accepted is the "genocide" term for the mass killings carried out during the Indonesian occupation (1975-99)? Was there any international pressure to stop them?	5

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