Is there any familial or other relationship between Ioannis Metaxas (the Greek dictator) and the maker of Metaxa, a Greek liquor used in sidecars?
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posted by Blazecock Pileon
on Oct 15, 2012 -
1 answer
Did Benjamin Franklin have a weekend schedule? Looking at his
daily schedule makes me curious as to whether he adhered to it seven days a week or if he did something different on Saturday and Sunday.
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posted by ignignokt
on Oct 15, 2012 -
5 answers
Machine for recording research path, pre computer-age? Library books on a waterwheel device? Please point me to the right web page...
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posted by Speculatist
on Oct 13, 2012 -
11 answers
Did the Catholic Church actively suppress literacy and education during the Middle Ages, or was it simply a byproduct of the era?
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posted by zarq
on Oct 4, 2012 -
28 answers
Why do most central banks target a small non-zero inflation rate rather than zero?
- Bank of England target is 2% CPI
- European Central Bank HICP target is "less than 2%"
- US Federal Reserve target is 2%
Why don't they all target zero if the ultimate aim of policy is actually "Price Stability" as most officially state.
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posted by mary8nne
on Oct 4, 2012 -
12 answers
Can somebody help me track down the source claiming Leonid Kantorovich was responsible for the safety of evacuees on the Road of Life during the Siege of Leningrad?
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posted by onalark
on Sep 29, 2012 -
7 answers
Early next year, I will have a lot of down time in or near places that were visited by the ancient Romans and Greeks. I am a moderate history and language nerd. If I want to read ancient source material related to some of the places I will be visiting, what language should I learn - Latin or Ancient Greek?
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posted by par court
on Sep 25, 2012 -
19 answers
Can anyone think of examples of well-known fictional characters or historical figures whose names fit the format [Adjective / Number] [Noun] [Surname]?
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posted by capricorn
on Sep 23, 2012 -
57 answers
I just finished watching
The First World War and now I want more! Can you recommend your favourite documentaries on History, particularly conflicts/war? I prefer a geopolitical focus (as in maps of the territories, graphic representations of strategies, what countries unied, what empires were divided in to what, etc.)
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posted by Tarumba
on Sep 23, 2012 -
6 answers
Documentary Recommendations: I don't know what this is called but I've noticed in two recent Ken Burns documentaries. In
The West, there are some very old Native Americans who talk about their experiences and memories. And in his one about the Brooklyn Bridge, there is a man is over 100 years old taking about how he was a water boy when he was about 10 years when the bridge was being built. I want more of these types of interviews where they have pictures of the past along with people who were there talking about it.
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posted by sio42
on Sep 23, 2012 -
10 answers
What is the story behind the pop-cultural trope of the "Japanese Houseboy?"
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posted by Miko
on Sep 22, 2012 -
12 answers
Speculative fiction about historical gradualism: I'm looking for SF stories which begin in the real historical world (past or present) and then gradually diverge from it,
without any single decisive turning point.
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posted by RogerB
on Sep 19, 2012 -
11 answers
Did Eastern Bloc countries do on-the-ground historical research in the USA during the Cold War?
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posted by lstanley
on Sep 18, 2012 -
3 answers
Do we know how
William Mumler created his images? If not, what are the most popular theories today, and what do we know about other spirit photographers?
posted by naturalog
on Sep 18, 2012 -
11 answers
Please help me find examples of athletes who did something completely counterintuitive in terms of the sport (so seemingly wrong) and won because of it. I'm especially looking for those moments that have been captured on video.
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posted by brynnwood
on Sep 13, 2012 -
53 answers
Tell me about the history of identity. Today it's pretty easy (though not foolproof) to find out if someone was who they said they were, or to verify a communication is from who it's claimed. But what about 200-2000 years ago?
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posted by Ookseer
on Sep 8, 2012 -
27 answers
Moving in with my SO - but worried that I'll end up in the unhappy situation my parents were in. What do you do when you didn't grow up with a positive example of marriage/co-habitation?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 5, 2012 -
13 answers
Another book recommendation question. I'm looking for a few general history books to read as preparation for diving into Thomas Pynchon's "Against the Day".
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posted by Lorin
on Sep 4, 2012 -
9 answers
I need help with a book suggestion! All my particulars found within, within, within..
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posted by kbanas
on Sep 3, 2012 -
3 answers
Can you recommend a popular history of Scotland--book, documentary, TV series, whatever--that I can consume before our trip there next summer?
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posted by WorkingMyWayHome
on Sep 3, 2012 -
12 answers
I remember reading about, and maybe seeing pictures of, baseball scoreboards for people who couldn't go to the ballpark could follow the game back in the early twentieth century. I want to know everything about them.
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posted by synecdoche
on Aug 25, 2012 -
5 answers
What are your favorite US/World/European history books to re-educate a woefully forgetful 23-year-old mind?
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posted by wintersonata9
on Aug 22, 2012 -
25 answers
Care to recommend some in-depth documentaries (and books, or anything online) about World War One?
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posted by nfg
on Aug 14, 2012 -
10 answers
I'm fascinated by unusual
jewelry with a history —
medieval memento moris,
ARP whistles from the Blitz,
Victorian nude stanhopes, that sort of thing. I don't care
at all about precious metals and gemstones (real or fake), but rather about the story behind them. Cheap, mass-produced mementos and handmade crafts seem to carry more history than high-end jewels, but they're difficult to search for. Boring, pretty things always swamp me when I search for "costume" or "antique" or "estate" jewelry. Other than
Monica Laughlin's excellent series of Hairpin posts, where can I discover more history-through-jewelry?
I'm hoping for book recommendations, websites, stories, articles, or online shops.
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posted by you're a kitty!
on Aug 7, 2012 -
7 answers
I've recently been watching Twin Peaks again, and I've been wondering... to people who actually watched it air in its original run, what was it like seeing something like this on TV? Did you have watching parties that I've heard so much about? Was the reveal of the killer and the twists and turns along the way surprising? Did you watch until the end of the second season, and were you disappointed when it got the plug pulled on it?
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posted by codacorolla
on Aug 3, 2012 -
66 answers
I serve on the editorial board of a historical publication that walks the line between scholarly and popular articles. It is a magazine format publication, known for the high quality of its illustrations as well as articles. How do we create an iPad (and maybe Android) app for the magazine?
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posted by LarryC
on Jul 30, 2012 -
10 answers
History/Librarian Filter: Inspired by all the interesting London history coming out
here, I'd like to start researching my own backyard, but I have little idea where to begin. What resources are typically available if wanted to research an area (US)?
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posted by gofargogo
on Jul 27, 2012 -
8 answers
I want to read about daily life in the Middle Ages. Particularly daily life in monasteries, but in other places too.
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posted by showbiz_liz
on Jul 24, 2012 -
19 answers
A poorly-maintained ex Ornamental Carp Pond in Kenmore, Washington has unexpectedly become home to three lovely amphibians, 3-4 inches long. Brownish bodies, greenish heads (the green could be due to algae and weeds.) The most distinguishing feature of these little guys is a sound I have never heard a frog make: a "yowp" or "yelp" noise, which they make when they are startled into jumping back into the pond. Any clues?
posted by dorgla
on Jul 20, 2012 -
11 answers
Please recommend good documentaries and TV programs about history that are accurate.
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posted by kristi
on Jul 17, 2012 -
19 answers
In one month I am moving out of my current living situation and moving into an apartment on my own. I'm stressing due to multiple issues, most importantly regarding my rental history, which is shaky, and a roommate that isn't paying rent. Will my rental history cause issues when I try to get a lease?
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posted by Mister Fabulous
on Jul 12, 2012 -
10 answers
How to find out whether historic letters are of any interest to somebody researching the era?
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posted by acm
on Jul 10, 2012 -
5 answers
