Let’s say the British Royal family eventually has a man crowned as King Alex, and his regnal number is obviously I since there hasn’t been one before

Then later on, a woman who is also named Alex gets crowned as Queen Alex.

Does she take the regnal number I, since she’s the first queen named Alex, or does she take II since she’s the second monarch with that name?

The following is a standard copyright shpiel found at the beginnings of books:

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

When did “information storage and retrieval system” become a standard part of this

If either of these questions is big enough to get a full post let me know and I will make one, but I have listened to a few programs about Smedley Butler and I have two questions, one big and one small, big first:

1. Is there some reason to suspect that his anti-war turn was insincere? As far as I can tell he did not leave the Marines voluntarily and he was bitter about being passed over for promotion, and that his anti-imperialist views were only expressed after he was effectively kicked out.

2. In a section in "War is a Racket" on how businesses profit from war he says that the US Army was sold vast quantities of mosquito netting for its operations in France, even though there were no mosquitos in France. But there most certainly are? And I could see how the muddy conditions of trench warfare would be a perfect breeding ground for mosquitos (and malaria). What was he talking about?

Is there a historical reason that English speakers refer to the ancient city as "Troy" and not "Ilium" or a derivation of that root?

You'll be hard-pressed in general conversation to hear someone refer to the city that was the site of the Trojan War as "Ilium" or "Ilion" unless you're talking to a particularly pedantic classicist. Is there a reason for this usage in English?

There was a period of time between maybe 1700 and 1900 (I am not a historian obviously) when people seemed to like to write in a very carefully thought-out, cleverly arranged, and sharply observational way; even in personal correspondences. I'm specifically thinking about how somebody might describe a person they had met to their friend in a letter. The best example I can readily find is this collection of descriptions of Thomas Jefferson by his contemporaries.
It seems like the object of these descriptions was not only to paint a vivid and insightful picture of the subject, but also to either amuse or impress whoever the writer was corresponding with. Nowadays when we describe people, not only do we tend to err on the side of being polite and non-judgemental (unless we're venting in which case we hyperbolize), but we're under no expectation to be inventive or especially insightful because there are easier ways to pass the pertinent or even experiential information along.
My question is, was there a name for this activity/past-time/skillful characterization of others? Was this consciously done? Are there any collections or compendiums of these kinds of descriptions? It also occurs to me that people didn't exclusively do this in personal correspondence about real life, there must also be literary examples. I realize this is a stretch, but sometimes I'm surprised by what things we actually have words for!

Did 16th Century Russians drink/make beer? If so what would it taste like, or what kind of beer would it have been?

I know this may be off the beaten path when it comes to the expected nature of our questions, but how does one that is not formally educated in History and its sub-genres begin to learn about a specific topic, in specific I'm wondering what are the methods I should take to find resources for the topics that I want to explore?

Is there a story of Italians ringing bells in the SDN to cover an ethiopian speech?

So weird question but ive always thought that this story was true, but i cant seem to find any source. i think ive heard it in an history class long ago but right now im questionning myself if i didny dreamt it ans thought it was true. So for more context, Ethiopia asking fir help at the SDN and Italia just ringing bells or doing noise. Thank you!

What was the first death caught on camera?

I once read on the internet that during the Troubles, British undercover operatives were given "brawling lessons" so they wouldn't use standard combatives in a fistfight and blow their cover. This doesn't make sense to me for several reasons:

• Modern military/paramilitary operators are far more likely to get in a gunfight than a fistfight. The odds of getting in a fistfight seem so slim that such "training" would be a waste of time.

• To my understanding, most hand-to-hand combat training in military/paramilitary forces at the time didn't involve sparring, so an operator in a fistfight would likely just devolve into brawling anyway.

• At least some IRA members would've had a background in boxing, so why not just send operatives with a boxing background? I doubt they would've been hard to find.

Is there any truth to this claim, or is this just another history myth being repeated on the internet?

What are some of the oldest buildings in the world that are still in use?

Buildings that haven't been drastically changed in shape/look/composition? By "use" I mean something more than "tourist attraction".

Reply to /u/Big-Goose3408 who posted in the (removed) thread I posted:

See the "not drastically changed in composition" specification. If it has been made of wood and all the wood has been replaced it doesn't count.

If something is merely a ruin or a tomb or a training ground for archaeologists it doesn't count.

I'd like to learn about Mao and his rule, is this the right place to ask for recommendations on books or documentaries? I have no real background on china, if that helps.

I’m not sure if this fits as a question in the spirit of the sub:

I’m listening to the audiobook of Neil Price’s Children of Ash and Elm. At one point in Chapter 3 he mentions and describes in detail an unusual small gilt silver figure of a probably female warrior, found in 2012 at [a place I don’t know how to spell] near Roskilde (I think).

Can anyone point me to further reading on this figure? Or if anyone has a physical copy of the book, the name of the town it was found near would be helpful. Roskilde also has a famous Viking ship museum so this exact figure is hard to search for knowing only that.

What did people eat for midday dinner (lunch) during the middle ages? What if they lived in a busy city? Was it likely that some would take food with them from home (or return home for their meals), and that others would purchase food each day? What would these meals consist of? (Specific example: You are laborer in the wool manufacturing trade in 1400s Florence - what are you having for lunch? How is that different from the lunch of a successful bank manager during that same time?)

Where would the throne room/great hall of a castle be located?

I am a worldbuilder and am currently designing a castle in my world. I had designed the throne room to be on the top floor of the main keep itself, but i had forgotten it was best to have it somewhere lower down so that it can be easily accessed by the public, despite the fact i had already designed the room for this purpose.

Is there any account of the throne room/great hall being located on an upper level rather than a lower (Therefore meaning i can keep the throne room where it is currently located)?

If not, would it be feasible for me to have this place function as a dinning hall for royals, lords and other important guests, as well as ballroom?

Thanks :)

What did the Romans call their own empire?

I was curious who built the first prison? Do we know why people were put there, and what their living conditions were like? How long did they usually stay there?

At the start of the Great Australian Emu War, there were roughly 20,000 emus. After the war, Australia placed a bounty on emus, and 57,034 emus bounties were claimed. How could 57,034 bounties be claimed if there were only 20,000 emus?

What was the first recorded instance of a Jewish person landing in the New World?

Was Michael Collins the Astronaut named after Michael Collins the Irish Revolutionary?

The
Haudenosaunee story of the founding of their confederacy is generally
taken to be reliable to a degree, naming specific events, individuals
etc. that date to the 1100s. Are there any other such historical events
of Precolumbian America we know of?

[ww2] what was the incident in which a group held out against germans for a while in a building and it angered germans a lot as they did not expect this to happen (expected little to no resistance). I think there is a little bit of footage of the building and a armored car & germans out there... I think germans did not use a very big force but it did have mortars etc. I think the fighting ended only when the defenders were forced into basements and fuel was pumped... I do not think they have taken many prisoners.

​

This is very vague :/ I do think it was from European theater (I do not think this was a major player [ie France, USSR] and it was some kind of government building (consulate?). If I remember correctly I have heard of this incident from youtube (maybe mark felton) but I cannot find it. Any ideas what this could be?

Why is Friday called 'Congregation Day' in Arabic?

I have looked at a previous Ask Historians thread about why Muslims congregate on Friday as well as searched online.

There is general agreement that the Quran commands muslims to congregate on 'Congregation Day' AKA Friday in Arabic, but this seems circular.

If Friday was already known as Congregation Day before this command, then why was that so? Was there a customary congregation on the 6th day in pre-Islamic Arabia? And if so, why the sixth day and for what purpose?

If Friday became known as Congregation Day AFTER the Quranic command, then why was the 6th day chosen?

wHO INVENTED TWILL/DIAGONAL WEAVING?

(I posted this in the previous thread a few days ago, but did not get a reply before the new thread appeared)

I'm reading David Herbert Donald's biography of Abraham Lincoln, and I'm confused about something.

In Chapter 7, part V, Donald explains that Lincoln did not want to run for state legislature again because he wanted to be a US Senator, and the Constitution of Illinois prohibited state legislators from being promoted to a higher office. But in part VII, he says Lincoln campaigned for Senator after he won the state legislature and before he declined the office. Donald also says, "the Illinois constitutional provision prohibiting the legislature from electing one of its own members to higher office might give unenthusiastic legislators an excuse not to vote for [Lincoln]." (p. 179).

If it was not legal for Lincoln to be elected to the US Senate as an Illinois state legislator, and if Lincoln knew this was the case, why was he apparently campaigning for the Senate in private? And why would "unenthusiastic legislators" use that law as "an excuse not to vote for" him—wouldn't they decline him the office anyway? Am I misunderstanding something?

I posted this a little while ago, since I'm really curious:

Has there ever been a society or political state that could have been considered a "democratic empire", one that has democratic internal works and imperialistic works on the outside?

How much of the whole “ancient Hellenic cultures preferred tiny dicks” is true? Are there sources from women that comment on this? I realize they were a very patriarchal society. Did this prevent women speaking about the subject? Was it mostly there to ease the dissonance in a culture that values public nudity by telling the lil guys they’re better off in more ways than less grab holds in pankretion?

Japanese history: I’ve been watching some samurai movies (Harakiri set in early 1600s, Throne of Blood is less specific but some time in the Sengoku period I assume) and am wondering about the hairstyles.

I’ve read that the origin of the chonmage (shaved on top, back and sides and topknot all present) style has to do with preventing overheating while wearing a helmet, and some of the actors do have this haircut. However, some do not.

Historically, would you have seen a mix of these hairstyles among samurai, and would an individual’s hairstyle signify anything more than personal preference? Or are the differences in the movies just the result of some actors refusing to shave their heads?

What is a good book on anti-communist sentiment in Western Europe from ~1910-~1940? I'm writing something about Gladio in the netherlands and I've now read about two feet of books on it, but it originated within very anti-communist circles before the war, which I know nothing about.

e: I'm not a scholar or a historian and I prefer books that are accessible and under 600 pages

Did the Ottoman Empire win anything by participating in the Berlin conference ? I saw they were listen among the participants on Wikipedia, but they didn't seem to get any territory in the partition of Africa that resulted from it. Was it just a failure for them, or did it grant them some other kind of advantage ?

My grandparents immigrated to the US in Feb,1947. They flew out of a London-area airport on Feb 7, 1947 (they had a stop overnight in Shannon, Ireland due to bad weather and also stopped to refuel in Gander, Newfoundland). They purchased their tickets via the British Overseas Airway Corp/BOAC, and also said it was an American Airways flight on a Constellation aircraft. They landed at La Guardia in NYC on Feb 9, 1947.
My question is this: What airport did they fly out of in the London area? Gatwick? Heathrow? Something else? I've found weak evidence that Gatwick wasn't doing transatlantic flights, but the timeline isn't definitive (see first 3 bullets of the 1945 section: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Gatwick_Airport#1945%E2%80%931958)
Croydon also seems unlikely - it seems to only have hosted short flights, and some cargo services. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon_Airport)
So, I'm leaning toward Heathrow as the most likely, but would like confirmation if it can be found.

What are some common pottage herbs that were in use in 15th century England?

Gah, I was just reading something that included an inscription I think on or around the tomb of Darius 1, where he is depicted as saying something along the lines of "I desire men to do good and be punished when they do wrong," and then I closed the page and can't find it again. Does this ring any bells? Somewhere in/near Persepolis?

edit: nvm, found it, it's DNb from Naqš-e Rustam.

I work for a coach company in Worcester, UK. On the rear and side of the coaches we have a standard that the boss/founder of the company claims is from the English Civil War. I've never seen any image nor mention of this standard before. Does anyone recognise it? Who's standard was it? What was their allegiance and their fate?

Thank you in advance. (pictures of standard)

Is there any country in South America that didn't have a dictatorship since 1960?

Is the second verse of the 1935 Yiddish song Vilne referring to something specific?

I see the Zakret forest, enveloped in its shadows, where teachers secretly slaked our thirst for knowledge. Vilna sewed the first thread in our flag of freedom and inspired its children with a gentle spirit.

​

It certainly sounds like a reference to some well-known event(s) or period.

Does any recognize this statue? I am not sure if the drawing is of a real statue or from the artists imagination, if it is a real statue I would love to know more about its origin and meaning!

Where did Peter ii of Yugoslavia live during WW2 for his exile in England? Specifically the place near Cambridge.

I have looked on Wikipedia and saw that he had an “exile home near Cambridge” but it doesn’t say where exactly he lived, what town/village. I found out that he visited Ely during this period, however I have not been able to find out much more than this. I’ve heard through the grapevine that it could have been the village of Witchford, but no official evidence and don’t trust the source.

I recall reading that poetry recitals we're common in the medieval Islamic world. Where can I learn more about them?

Is Hemming’s “Conquest of the Inca” well regarded?

Does anyone have recommendations for good introductory books on the history of Eastern Europe?

What’s a good biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain? I’m most interested in his service during the Civil War, but it doesn’t need to be limited to that.

I saw a post on twitter saying war orphans got adopted as mascots but I gotta ask. If soldiers wanna grab a random kid to dress up in soldier clothes, where are they getting child-size uniforms?

Many legendary figures, places, and events were once considered to be historical. Are there any opposite examples: things previously considered legendary, but proven historical by later discoveries?

EDIT: I did some of my own digging, and I found an example in the city of Troy! Wikipedia pointed me to Finding the Walls of Troy by Susan Heuck Allen, on the Internet Archive and they state that Troy was generally considered a legend before its rediscovery by Calvert and Schliemann.

While I'd usually stop with the Wikipedia page, in the interests of respecting this sub's standards for answers, even if they are to my own questions, I personally verified the citation. They draw upon quote from Grote's History of Greece from 1846, which I present in the expanded form here:

Of such events the genuine Trojan war of the old epic was for the most part composed. Though literally believed, reverentially cherished, and numbered among the gigantic phænomena of the past, by the Grecian public, it is in the eyes of modern inquiry essentially a legend and nothing more. If we are asked whether it be not a legend embodying portions of historical matter, and raised upon a basis of truth,—whether there may not really have occurred at the foot of the hill of Ilium a war purely human and political, without gods, without heroes, without Helen, without Amazons, without Ethiopians under the beautiful son of Eôs, without the wooden horse, without the characteristic and expressive features of the old epical war,—like the mutilated trunk of Deïphobus in the under-world; if we are asked whether there was not really some such historical Trojan war as this, our answer must be, that as the possibility of it cannot be denied, so neither can the reality of it be affirmed. We possess nothing but the ancient epic itself without any independent evidence: had it been an age of records indeed, the Homeric epic in its exquisite and unsuspecting simplicity would probably never have come into existence. Whoever therefore ventures to dissect Homer, Arktinus and Leschês, and to pick out certain portions as matters of fact, while he sets aside the rest as fiction, must do so in full reliance on his own powers of historical divination, without any means either of proving or verifying his conclusions.

Somewhat embarrasingly, that quote was also available on the Wikipedia page that started this whole search. In any case, Grote's work is available as part of public domain. The previous quote was sourced from page 322 of the Project Gutenberg version.

Reading Allen's book also confirmed that there was a lot of bad archaeology involved with the discovery of Troy and that Schliemann was not a nice person, but that was beyond the scope of my original question.

I'm a librarian and someone asked me if I could find the source of this quote:

"We need to ignore what everyone else is doing and achieving. Your life is about breaking your own limits and outgrowing yourself to live your best life. You are not in competition with anyone else. Plan to outdo your past, not other people."

I have looked everywhere I can think of and I keep finding "unknown" as the source. Anyone come across the source?

under whose rule did the Frankish empire reach its greatest power?

How did surcoats work in the high medieval period? Especially for the Holy Roman Emperors?

This 19th century illustration of Frederick Barbarossa has the Emperor in a reddish brown surcoat with a cross on it, denoting his fame as a crusader I'm sure. But what surcoat would Freddy Red Beard have actually worn, if any?

Would he have had the Black Eagle on the gold field? Would he have had the house of Hohenstaufen with the imperial eagle reserved just for banners?

I've found this illustration of Frederick II on some campaign and he's wearing the eagle on his surcoat but so is one of his soldiers or appears to be one of his soldiers.

In films like Kingdom of Heaven and Robin Hood, the lord or knight is marked in his surcoat with embroidered decorations around the coat of arms while his retinue/men-at-arms bear his CoA without adornments.

I understand that uniforms didn't exist but how did the surcoat work?

Could someone recommend me a good biography of Lenin?

Would anyone be able to recommend a book on the different tendencies within the 1950s American right?

Thank you for your time!

In the final battle of Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks has a cheek wound. It looks like it's from the stock of his Thompson. Is this a coincidental makeup wound or a common issue from firing many, many rounds with a wooden stock smooshed against your cheek?

https://imgur.com/a/D5bNT3n

Sorry for the WW2 question ;)

Edit: Oh, and Saving Private Ryan is now 24 years old, so if /u/Tom_Hanks_ wants to chime in on the production, feel free.

When (and why) did the bells of a church or cathedral ring during the middle ages? Did the bells ring at certain times over the course of the day, or during certain religious ceremonies, or both? Specific times or examples would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

During the US Civil War, how much damage did the Union do to the city of Atlanta after the surrender of the city compared to the retreating confederates' burning of their supplies, including the infamous fire from burning gunpowder?

The easily available secondary sources describe the events confusingly. National geographic for example, describes it as the destruction of 3,000 buildings AFTER a sack by Sherman's troops which would have already burnt these buildings.

Does anybody else know what these uniforms are called? They're seemingly used by royals and aristocrats starting around the 17th century. They look cool as hell.

Another question: why sudden change of style from those puffy clothes to a more simple and sharp style?

https://imgur.com/a/OModFYp

When was blackpowder weapons last used in a real battle?

I was wondering if there are any heuristic reference works (a listing of sources and archives) of contemporary history (19th - 21th century) for France and the Netherlands, as I'm only familiar with such works for Belgium?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I was googling for "symbols of luck" to use some of the results in a little art-project. I selected a few symbols I liked and started revers-searching to make sure they actually mean something like luck, good fortune, or any other similar "effects".

And now I am here to ask if my research is correct and for help about things, I couldn’t find a satisfying answer to.

I would like to start with some symbols where I am quite confident my research is correct:

1. Web of Wyrd -> is a symbol of fate

2. Vegvísir -> a symbol to find your way through rough weather, I would also interpret this not only as "rough weather" but also "rough times" in general

3. Hamsa -> a sign of protection against evil

Continuing with the symbols I am not sure about;

4. The Chinese/mandarin letter 吉 (Ji) -> I found that this literally means lucky, but I don’t trust online translators that much.

5. Chinese Fu, Lu and Shou -> Fu stands for good fortune; Lu stands for success, rank and influence; Shou stands for immortality. There are three symbols connected to these, each looks like a Chinese letter cut into a circle, are those symbols real historical Symbols or are those just some symbols someone invented to sell them as fancy "Chinese" tattoos?

6. Ægishjálmr (The Helm of Awe) -> a Germanic magical symbol for protection

And finally, the ones I couldn´t find a pleasing source about.

7. A symbol called Om ॐ it is used in Hinduism but I couldn´t find a relation to luck or fortune

8. Letters from the futhark alphabet

8.1 Fehu

8.2 a combination of Ansuz and Gebo

If you have any recommendations for symbols that might fit this scheme, I am pleased to hear them.

Thank you very much for your time and have a nice day :D

In 1936, in his State of the Union address, FDR said: "I cannot better end this message on the state of the Union than by repeating the words of a wise philosopher at whose feet I sat many, many years ago." And then he proceeded to quote someone who said the following: "What great crises teach all men whom the example and counsel of the brave inspire is the lesson: Fear not, view all the tasks of life as sacred, have faith in the triumph of the ideal, give daily all that you have to give, be loyal and rejoice whenever you find yourselves part of a great ideal enterprise. You, at this moment, have the honor to belong to a generation whose lips are touched by fire. You live in a land that now enjoys the blessings of peace. But let nothing human be wholly alien to you. The human race now passes through one of its great crises. New ideas, new issues—a new call for men to carry on the work of righteousness, of charity, of courage, of patience, and of loyalty. . . . However memory bring back this moment to your minds, let it be able to say to you: That was a great moment. It was the beginning of a new era. . . . This world in its crisis called for volunteers, for men of faith in life, of patience in service, of charity and of in- sight. I responded to the call however I could. I volunteered to give myself to my Master—the cause of humane and brave living. I studied, I loved, I labored, unsparingly and hopefully, to be worthy of my generation."
TL;DR: Who was FDR quoting here? (I've been searching for a bit and cannot figure it out...)

I read recently that guild members or associates would be put to death if they deviated from the conventionally crafted item, is that true? And can I get some more reading on that?

Could someone recommend some documentaries about American history? Specifically the war for independence? I know the basics through games and stuff but I would like to know exactly how things played out and also want more insights about the founding of the USA

If I were a non-noble in a feudal society (say a merchant), would I ever have contact with representatives who work directly for the king? What I think of, as a U.S. citizen (which I am not - this is just for illustration), I interact with my city government, but I pay my taxes to the (federal) IRS. In feudalism, my duke or bishop or whatever would be the only government that mattered to me. is that correct?

Is there a word or phrase used in academia for a situation wherein knowledge is lost to modern times because the knowledge was so commonly known to a civilization that no one bothered to write the specifics of it and now the civilization which had this information is defunct. Examples of this are the plant used by Romans as an abortifacient and the kingdom of Punt.

Was the gulf of tonkin incident staged by the NSA or CIA?

Was (s)hitler really the first person to receive fecal microbiota transplants?

I heard someone say that on a podcast but couldn’t find anything about him being the first.