Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
Going to AHA this weekend in New York? Make sure to check out Session 122 tomorrow at 1:30!
Your Weekly /r/askhistorians Recap
Friday, December 27 - Thursday, January 02
| Top 10 Posts | score | link to comments |
|---|---|---|
| Why are Worlds Fairs no longer very renowned? | 3,480 | 55 comments |
| During Nazi occupation, how did taxes work? Did French and Polish people pay taxes to the German government? | 3,369 | 110 comments |
| It’s reported that Martha Washington said hosting Thomas Jefferson at Mount Vernon was the second-most horrible day of her life, after burying her husband. Do we know what he did during that visit to garner that kind of response? | 2,870 | 85 comments |
| I'm a young woman with a newborn baby living in a medieval village in the English countryside. I've just received word that my husband has been killed fighting for our local lord in a far off war. What honorable options do I have to make a living and feed my family now that he is dead? | 2,870 | 80 comments |
[Great Question!] The Deaf community today is split on the use of cochlear implants. Was there similar anger and argument during the spread of hearing aid use? |
2,427 | 49 comments |
| Did Napoleon have any interest in recapturing Canada? At what point did French leaders give up on their attempts to reunite with the French Canadian population? | 2,276 | 97 comments |
| Was the standard 4-suit deck of playing cards originally meant for a specific game? How did we arrive at the standard 52-card deck? | 2,254 | 31 comments |
| Adult adoption seems to have been very common by the late Roman Republic; was this a political development, driven by social forces, or interpersonal ones (or something else)? Was it particular to the aristocratic class or common in general? Do we know how it developed? | 1,756 | 35 comments |
| How come most Spanish colonies retained speaking Spanish, but the Philippines did not? | 704 | 33 comments |
| On November 7, 2000, Hilary Clinton became the first First Lady of the United States to win public office. Had other First Ladies ever attempted to run for office, or had there been speculation about them running? | 582 | 6 comments |
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I really regret that ill health kept me from attending college—the influence would have made me less of a freakish recluse than I am, & would have given me a contact with the world whereby my work might display a far richer background of realism than it does. Don't regret your university years. You are the better for them, & even as it is you are emerging from them far earlier than most youths succeed in doing.
This passage struck me. Lovecraft never graduated highschool, due to some kind of nervous breakdown and spotty attendance, and so never matriculated onto college as he might have been expected to, though for a while he did attempt correspondence courses and night classes, he never got his diploma. Donald A. Wollheim eventually went on to be a notable figure in fantasy publishing, especially DAW books.
Did Wehrmacht soldiers in WW2 who refused to commit genocide or other crimes against humanity ever get executed for that? I'm particularly interested in non-officers, and especially non-volunteers (drafted or forcibly conscripted).
Can anyone identify the military unit of the man on the left in this photo ? His arm patch is difficult to make out, looks the same as the man on the right but a different number. The pin badge looks like a Hitler Youth Proficiency badge. If it helps I believe the man is Polish and born in 1926.
Hey all, I recently finished "Team of Rivals" by Doris Goodwin, and was interested if there were other biography's of similar sort for other presidents that people recommend?
My girlfriends heritage is Irish. She’s been there 3 times now and her and I plan on taking a trip together sometime in the future. I’d really like to learn more about Irish history and culture before going. It seems like most of what she and her siblings know all comes from talking to locals. I plan on doing the same but I’d like to have a basic knowledge so I don’t offend or come off too stupid.
I was browsing the recommended reading and maybe I missed something but I’m not sure where to start. Any posts I should check out? Any good books?
I wanted to post here and maybe I’ll ask in r/suggestmeabook as well.
Thank you in advance!