[WP] “Son, I think it’s time for you to know that when you turn 18 an albino gorilla will come and beat you senseless. I don’t know why but it happened to me, it happened to my father, my grandfather, and his father as well. Nothing you can do about it, so don’t make any plans until afterwards.”
Writing Prompts. You're a writer and you just want to flex those muscles? You've come to the right place! If you see a prompt you like, simply write a short story based on it. Get comments from others, and leave commentary for other people's works. Let's help each other.
TIL in 1490s Florence, gangs of pious youths called Piagnoni roamed the streets shaming sinners and collecting “sinful” items such as makeup, musical instruments, mirrors, wigs, dolls, and even chess pieces to burn in giant public bonfires led by the fiery Dominican Friar Girolamo Savonarola.
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.
TIL about Masanobu Tsuji, an Imperial Japanese WWII Army officer who helped plan enough campaigns that he was nicknamed the “God of Strategy”. A known cannibal, he evaded war crime trials, briefly became a politician, worked with the CIA, before finally mysteriously vanishing in Laos in 1961.
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.
When did using public bathrooms become the norm? In what era did the average person in a city going about their day try to find a designated bathroom as opposed to relieving themselves anywhere out of sight?
For asking casual questions about historical events prior to 01/01/2000. Also see r/History or r/AskHistorians.
Did the Soviet victories at the Battles of Khalkhin Gol give them a false sense of superiority before they launched the Winter War against Finland? If so to what extent was this mis-assessment an “honest mistake”?
Credible military history and science.
TIL Admiral Yamaguchi of the IJN was a staunch supporter of the Pearl Harbor attack plan. When the initial plan left his carrier division out of the attack force, Yamaguchi got drunk, accosted Admiral Nagumo in his cabin, and got him in a headlock until someone broke up the fight.
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.
TIL For centuries, Borzoi dogs could not be purchased but only given as gifts from the Tsar. The breed was almost rendered extinct after the Russian Revolution, as the communists associated the breed with the upper classes and killed Borzoi dogs in large numbers.
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.
TIL During the 1920s and 30s planes still needed to have their propellers spun manually but were getting too large to do it by hand safely. So trucks were fitted with the Hucks Starter device to help start the propeller engine.
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.
Is there any good way to implement the League of Nations as a mechanic?
A place to share content, ask questions and/or talk about the grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV by Paradox Development Studio.
[WP] The Dream Mages that give you nightmares are not the ones people fear the most. Rather it’s the ones that can give you dreams that fulfill your deepest fantasies that drive you to madness the fastest. Because once you wake up real life will feel like torture in comparison.
Writing Prompts. You're a writer and you just want to flex those muscles? You've come to the right place! If you see a prompt you like, simply write a short story based on it. Get comments from others, and leave commentary for other people's works. Let's help each other.
When the Columbian exchange occurred were the Europeans just bringing New World foods back, or did they also bring back Native American recipes and preparation methods for those foods?
For asking casual questions about historical events prior to 01/01/2000. Also see r/History or r/AskHistorians.
What are some small or short lived private companies that had an outsized impact on history?
For asking casual questions about historical events prior to 01/01/2000. Also see r/History or r/AskHistorians.
A statue honoring K-9 dogs that have served the city which only has two dogs listed. And one is just the latin version of the other’s name.
Aww, cripes. I didn't know I'd have to write a description. How many words is that so far, like a hundred? Soooo, yeah. Mildly interesting stuff. Stuff that interests you. Mildly. It's in the name, ffs.
Was the Soviet leadership really as obsessed with anniversaries for propaganda as often depicted?
For asking casual questions about historical events prior to 01/01/2000. Also see r/History or r/AskHistorians.
Why are formal education systems relatively recent developments? What was stopping ancient rome from developing schools or universities?
For asking casual questions about historical events prior to 01/01/2000. Also see r/History or r/AskHistorians.
[WP] A noblewoman has become infatuated with cats and has so many that her castle is nicknamed by the locals as the “Cat Castle”. Her enemies call her the “Mad Cat Lady”.
Writing Prompts. You're a writer and you just want to flex those muscles? You've come to the right place! If you see a prompt you like, simply write a short story based on it. Get comments from others, and leave commentary for other people's works. Let's help each other.
[WP] “Nay, that dragon isn’t a pet. He’s a full fledged member of me crew. Gets a share of the treasure we find like everyone else. Never knew a dragon could be such a great pirate.”
Writing Prompts. You're a writer and you just want to flex those muscles? You've come to the right place! If you see a prompt you like, simply write a short story based on it. Get comments from others, and leave commentary for other people's works. Let's help each other.
163 years ago The Great Locomotive Chase occurred. A team of Union volunteers, who were lead by James Andrews, stole a train and were pursued for 87 miles.
High quality images of maps.
TIL In 1962 commodities broker Tino De Angelis, bilked 51 banks out of over $180 million ($1.85 billion today) in what became known as the salad oil scandal. Part of his scheme involved mostly filling his storage tanks with water so that there was only a little oil on top in case of inspection.
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.
Why was Italian industry so ill prepared for WWII despite Mussolini having a decade and a half to shape industrial policy?
Credible military history and science.
TIL Yoko Ono’s uncle Toshikazu Kase was a high ranking Imperial Japanese civil servant and diplomat that was present at the 1945 surrender ceremony on the USS Missouri and was Japans first ambassador to the UN.
You learn something new every day; what did you learn today? Submit interesting and specific facts about something that you just found out here.
To what extent were the members of the Non-Aligned Movement actually as neutral as they claimed to be during the Cold War?
For asking casual questions about historical events prior to 01/01/2000. Also see r/History or r/AskHistorians.
Was the 2nd Battle of Alamein strictly necessary when Operation Torch was about to disrupt the whole North African Theater?
Credible military history and science.