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I recently discovered that one of Walt Whitman’s brothers died unnamed at six months. In the past, when infant mortality was frequent and children died all the time, would families not name their children before a certain point in their lives? Was this common? If anyone has any literature on the history of child naming in the context of infant mortality that would be great.

Is there any evidence to support the theory that claims William Shakespeare did not write his plays?

In my high school history class, all we really learned about the Korean War was that it happened, when it started, and when it ended. In the same class there was a pretty rigorous coverage of WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War. Similarly, there are plenty of books and movies about WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam war, but very few about the Korean War. So why, despite its size in terms of countries involved, manpower, and causalities and influence on modern geopolitics, has the Korean War been almost forgotten in modern America?

My grandpa fought in WW1 for the US. He was in the infantry.

Apparently was involved in a very bloody battle in France.

I was told he was awarded some sort of ring, any idea what that could have been?

I have never seen the ring or a photo, apparently it was lost shortly after he returned to the states. My father would always tell me about it when I was a kid but I never got any details.

I know this is a really vague question but any information would be appreciated.

What makes it appear to me that Japan modernised to come to a level of advancement comparable to Western powers was, unlike Ottoman Empire

• Japan had universal compulsory education
• the level of penetration of technology in governance and commerce
• Japan's power projection in late 1800's and early 1900's.

It was able to throw its weight around in 1905 against Russia, and had become the third naval power in the world before 1930.

While the Ottoman Empire did not have widespread industrial development, and had regions as undeveloped as Arabia.

It was when Ataturk came to power that modernisation of Turkey began, I'd say.

Was it because Ottoman Empire was eclipsed by the West gradually, and didn't see the importance of modernising; compared to Japan, which was raised from its sleep abruptly?

For arguably, the Ottoman empire had more resources at its command, and had a functioning bureaucracy, unlike Japan, which was feudalistic and had to undergo a process of centralisation. It was in continued contact with the West, and with the ideas and innovations. The defeats during Napoleon's expeditions should have been an alarm bell for them.

Was it because the threat to them wasn't existential, as they were extended protection and propping up by France and Britain? Unlike Japan, which had witnessed the Opium Wars and was more anxious.

I’ve been watching the Last Kingdom on Netflix, it’s making me curious about that entire period of English history. Thanks in advance for any responses!

Disclaimer: I checked the FAQ, figuring this had likely been asked at some point. However, some links within the FAQ redirect me to a wall of code with the Reddit logo at the top. I am currently mobile and do not have access to a computer, so am unable to verify if this happens on PC as well. If this question has been asked already, feel free to link me to the appropriate answer.

Edit: I'm referring to WWII. I don't know why I forgot to put that in the title.

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Apparantly the Romans constructed large ships with up to ten banks of oars, which would be absolutely massive. But why are medieval warships so much smaller than they were in Classical Rome?

I’m interested in finding influences for my next story. I have read plenty of how it affected Japanese families, but I seldom hear about America other than Einstein and Truman regretting it. For extra credit, I am looking for:

Statistics, stories, and people. Any Americans who lived in Japan who lost families or themselves? What happened to the pilots? Are there American veterans who witnessed the event?

Any information on the topic would be appreciated. I wanted to keep this question vague so anyone can put in what they like.

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Do any of you have any links to something about Sir Richard Tangye's political beliefs

I know who he is and what he did but I read something somewhere about his political beliefs and I used it in an essay but I need the link to back it up. Anything would help please.

Further questions:

Time is generally measured by counting up from an event, although I'd guess some astronomical system of measurement may have counted down, but from what? What was the starting point for different civilizations concept of "year one," and why was that so significant to them?

When did the "years since jesus" system become widely accepted? How long did it take to spread everywhere? I would expect that, particularly in Asia, they wouldn't have bothered switching to a year system based on a guy they didn't care about until fairly recently, probably when the British rolled up. Case in point, Chinese new year.

Or is he just a conceptual character used by Plato and his friends from Athen’s intelligentsia ? Do we legitimate historical account of his existence ?