I have always heard that people were a lot smaller centuries ago. This always struck me as odd. When I visited the remains of Pompeii years ago, I indeed noticed that the hardened corpses of the people who died there, were substantially smaller than a normal sized grown-up nowadays.

I've also heard that even Napoleon, who was also depicted as small, was actually about 168 cm (about 5 ft 6 in) which was average during those days, about two centuries ago.

Why does this change in physique appear so drastical in my eyes? Or were people in the northern part of Europe, where I'm from, always as tall as now, due to genetics?

It still happens with kings, queens and popes (for example, Elizabeth II is called Isabel II in portuguese and spanish), but before it seem to happen with literaly everybody.

A famous example: portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães is called Ferdinand Magellan in english and Fernando de Magallanes in spanish. Jules Verne is called Júlio Verne in portuguese.

When did this stopped happening?

There is not much information I could find on this early Islamic group other than what they believed in and what separated them from other Islamic groups of this time period. If any of you know of any distinctive characteristics such as doctrines or legal practices about them, that would really help me understand what they are all about.

Nicholas is notorious for being unable or even reluctant to fulfil his role as Tsar but what else was wrong with the imperial regime that allowed for revolution to take place in 1917?

How, if at all, have historical opinions changed on this subject?

I often hear about the role of civilians in Europe in WWII, but I only really know the Pacific campaign as battles between Japanese and Americans, Australians, and New Zealanders. Many of the battles (Tarawa, Guadalcanal, Truk, etc) were fought on islands with substantial indigenous populations. Outside of the widely misunderstood "cargo cults" how did the war effect them, and what role did they play in the fighting? Were there resistance movements, or was there not much difference between Japanese and European colonialism?

As a side question, how did Japanese and Western soldiers react to the often very different cultures found on the islands, particularly in Melanesia and Papua (which I am including in "Pacific Islands" for simplicity's sake)? I've often heard that the popularity of "tiki culture" was in part due to soldiers returning from the Pacific.

This question was prompted after reading after the unfortunately termed "fuzzy wuzzy angels" of Papua, and the atrocities visited on them from both sides of the Kokoda Track campaign.

I know the United Kingdom was founded in 1707 but there were parliaments before that and hundreds of years of England so when did it officially begin?

In doing some research on the Vietnam War, I've read that 2/3 of the soldiers in Vietnam volunteered. Many people believe otherwise. I've found that most nuggets of information are based off of a particular speech that I cannot seem to dig up: Speech by Lt. Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, (reproduced in the Pentagram, June 4, 1993) assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Vietnam veterans and visitors gathered at "The Wall", Memorial Day 1993.

I've found the Westmoreland source, but am coming up dry on the McCaffrey. Is there anyone here that can point me to a primary or secondary sources on this? My research project hinges on the number of volunteers versus drafted in Vietnam in comparison to other wars.

This is the furthest I've gotten and it's not enough. "2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. [Westmoreland] Approximately 70% of those killed were volunteers. [McCaffrey] Many men volunteered for the draft so even some of the draftees were actually volunteers."

The following are the more interesting things we've inherited in a trunk that's been part of the family for about four generations:

From WWI:

• a dozen WWI medals and pins

• a pointy helmet

• a large duffel jacket

• about 20 propaganda magazines

• a few photos of soldiers from the family

• some deutschmarks

From WWII (now for the terrible stuff!):

• a hand-signed letter from Hitler and some administrative people saying thanks for funding the Hindenburg and for serving the country (after being imprisoned by the US for potentially spying- this was a false claim btw)

• propaganda magazines

• large Nazi flag

• SS helmet

• SS jacket

• wooden carbine (never fired in war)

• boots

• large knife with nazi symbol

• EDIT: nazi eagle stamps

Should we sell them? What museum would take them? A couple of people have suggested throwing it all away, but I don't think that's the responsible thing to do, even though it's really creepy holding onto some of this stuff. Should we keep them?

We're Americans for location purposes.

EDIT: We also have hundreds of records of uninteresting government activity and academic work, as well as business letters. Are these worth holding onto? Our family doesn't really care about this stuff anymore and I doubt any museum would accept them.

Can anyone point me to an online source outlining homework in American schools, from the advent of them in the 1600s to today? That would be awesome. Thanks!

I have a disability myself, although it is invisible. As an early 20s lady with Asperger's and Mental Health issues, this question has been pervading my mind for months and months. I wonder how people like me were treated or how people with physical disabilities such as Cerebral Palsy were treated. Were they treated as "lesser" or did they get equal treatment. The reason why I am specifying Medieval to Post-Enlightenment is that a lot of changes happened and maybe changes in belief also potentially changed the way these people viewed people with disabilities, both invisible and visible. If anyone needs clarification on anything in my question, feel free to ask and I will give it the best I can.

Did Crassus's defeat and subsequent death contribute to the growing tensions between Caesar and Pompey? Where people shocked when they heard the new of the defeat?