Historical and Genealogical questions
Which countries gained independence unwillingly? Singapore is arguably the only modern nation to have been forced against its will into independence: The One Country That Gained Independence against Its Will. The island became independent on 9 August 1965, thus becoming the only country to gain independence against its own will in the history of the …
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What is the story of the parable of the drowning man? The parable of the drowning man, also known as Two Boats and a Helicopter, is a short story, often told as a joke, most often about a devoutly Christian man, frequently a minister, who refuses several rescue attempts in the face of approaching floodwaters, …
What is the significance of ushabti? These small figurines are called Ushabti (or Shabti/Shawabti) and played a great significance in the rituals of burying weather nobles or royalty through the great Egyptian dynasties. What are ushabti Why do Egyptians make them? Shabtis were seen as servants of the person who had been mummified. Everyone in …
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Why was there no Luftwaffe on D-Day? Luftwaffe and Navy on D-day. The strength of both the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine on D-Day had been weakened throughout the war so that they could not play a significant role. German stukas already flying in V-formation. The Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine on D-Day had little influence on the final …
How did Communist movements affect women’s rights? From the beginning, the Communist world claimed to uphold women’s rights and lambasted the West for its inattention to sexual inequality. Most Western democracies did not grant women the vote until after the Russian Revolution in 1917, with the last Western country, Switzerland, not granting women suffrage until …
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How long did it take for the radiation to clear in Hiroshima? Deaths from radiation began about a week after exposure and reached a peak in 3 to 4 weeks. They practically ceased to occur after 7 to 8 weeks. How long would it take for Japan to make a nuclear bomb? While there are …
What was the first battle with gunpowder? The first documented battlefield use of gunpowder artillery took place on 29 January 1132, when Song General Han Shizhong used huochong to capture a city in Fujian. The world’s earliest known hand cannon is the Heilongjiang hand cannon dated 1288, which was found in Mongol-held Manchuria. When was …
How did they keep armor from rusting? It’s a myth that armor was so heavy that the knight had to be lifted on to his horse with a crane. But he did need attendants to pick him up if he fell off his horse in battle. When the fighting was over, they cleaned his armor …
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Why Russia did not help Saddam? The Soviets did not like the implications of an Iranian victory, fearing Tehran would go on to export Islamic revolution elsewhere in the world. Although officially still neutral, the USSR gradually increased economic and military support to Iraq to stop the collapse of Saddam. Did Russia help Saddam Hussein? …
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As far as we can tell, Medieval French families were significantly bigger than modern western families – averaging perhaps around five to six. In contrast, modern France has an average household size of 2.38. How big were families in the Middle Ages? In rural England, between the twelfth century and the Black Death, the average …
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