AskHistorians

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Odin, Thor, and Loki are overwhelmingly the best known members of the Norse pantheon in popular culture. Is their dominance a recent trend and how did they become so we'll know?	2
Has the letter "X" always been the letter of mystery, or have other letters been used in the past?	2
What was the political environment like in the US when allies such as Canada and Britain began to implement more socialist practices like universal healthcare?	1
80s wrestling manga and anime Kinnikuman notably has a "good Nazi" character, Brocken Jr. Was this considered controversial or was Japan not as sensitive about Nazi imagery at that time?	1
The Queens Gambit spiked an interest in chess after it came out, are there any historical examples of a piece of work greatly increasing interest in something by the common people?	1
In the The Toys That Made Us episode on Hello Kitty they mention she's British due to Japans obsession with the UK in the 1970s. Nowadays it seems that Japan's more interested in French and Italian culture, when did this shift happen and what caused it to occur?	1
Has turning 30 always been seen as the end of being "young" or is this a relatively new trend? Were there other ages that used to hold this significance?	1
Green beans originated in Central and South America yet are mostly absent from their cooking but are prevalent in European cooking (even sometimes called French beans) what caused them to mostly be ignored by their home culture but be adapted in the west?	1
Swords are often shown as the iconic weapon of heroes and villains, is there a specific origin of this trope and beforehand was a different type of weapon idolized?	1
What's the oldest bar joke we actually know why it's funny?	1

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