/u/zerodarkshirty's posts

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The US has a habit of giving its laws convoluted names because they make nice acronyms (eg the Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, which spells out PATRIOT). When did this first start and why?

701 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Why on earth did Elba - literally swimming distance from Europe - seem like a sensible place to exile Napoleon to? Was it not foreseen that he might manage to escape?

119 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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When did it become consensus that it was a bad idea for children to drink alcohol?

32 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Most astronauts in the Gemini/Apollo programme were military but Neil Armstrong was a civilian having resigned his reserve commission in 1960. Was it a deliberate choice to choose a civilian for the most prestigious role in the American space programme?

25 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Given the power of Arthurian legend why was Arthur not a more popular name for English/British kings? Henry VII’s son is the only one I am aware of.

17 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Why didn’t Henry VIII just have Catherine of Aragon quietly poisoned? Seems like a lot less effort.

14 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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The Albert Memorial in London is a ludicrously ostentatious monument to someone who wasn’t even a sovereign. Was Albert really that popular / important?

11 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Which decisive military victories actually turned out to be disastrous for the victors?

2 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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During the battle of Leipzig a corporal blew a bridge too early, leading to thousands of deaths and 30,000 French troops being captured as they couldn’t escape. What other examples are there of huge military consequences due to one individual’s actions?

2 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Most of the Roman poets we read today lived within the same few years, despite the Roman period spanning 1000 years. Was this considered a golden age of literature at the time or is that a modern invention?

1 upvotes • r/AskHistorians

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Title	Upvotes	Subreddit	Mark as read	Favorited	Rating	Add to a list
The US has a habit of giving its laws convoluted names because they make nice acronyms (eg the Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, which spells out PATRIOT). When did this first start and why?	701	AskHistorians
Why on earth did Elba - literally swimming distance from Europe - seem like a sensible place to exile Napoleon to? Was it not foreseen that he might manage to escape?	119	AskHistorians
When did it become consensus that it was a bad idea for children to drink alcohol?	32	AskHistorians
Most astronauts in the Gemini/Apollo programme were military but Neil Armstrong was a civilian having resigned his reserve commission in 1960. Was it a deliberate choice to choose a civilian for the most prestigious role in the American space programme?	25	AskHistorians
Given the power of Arthurian legend why was Arthur not a more popular name for English/British kings? Henry VII’s son is the only one I am aware of.	17	AskHistorians
Why didn’t Henry VIII just have Catherine of Aragon quietly poisoned? Seems like a lot less effort.	14	AskHistorians
The Albert Memorial in London is a ludicrously ostentatious monument to someone who wasn’t even a sovereign. Was Albert really that popular / important?	11	AskHistorians
Which decisive military victories actually turned out to be disastrous for the victors?	2	AskHistorians
During the battle of Leipzig a corporal blew a bridge too early, leading to thousands of deaths and 30,000 French troops being captured as they couldn’t escape. What other examples are there of huge military consequences due to one individual’s actions?	2	AskHistorians
Most of the Roman poets we read today lived within the same few years, despite the Roman period spanning 1000 years. Was this considered a golden age of literature at the time or is that a modern invention?	1	AskHistorians