Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it
This week’s optional topic: Worst/weirdest designs. A great example is the Vitse-admiral Popov, a Russian warship designed in the 1870s. With Russia’s Black Sea Fleet limited by treaty after the Crimean War, Tsar Alexander II approved a proposal by Vice … Continue reading The Goofy History Thread
No discussion prompt this week, find historical topics to discuss. Continue reading The History Thread Shrugs
This week’s optional discussion topic: How do you handle “evil” figures in history? As those in the PT have no doubt seen, I just finished rereading Eichmann in Jerusalem which famously bases its argument around the concept of “the banality … Continue reading The Banality of the History Thread
Since the thread’s running late, I’ll fall back on a favorite discussion prompt: Worst history books/documentaries/podcasts you’ve experienced? Sometimes works marketing themselves as “nonfiction” are as unreliable as the craziest novel or dumbest TV show. Continue reading The Worst History Thread
This week’s optional topic: displaced references. TV Tropes has a page devoted to “Parody Displacement,” where parodies or references to a original work popular in its day are spoofed so often that they overtake the original. A classic example is … Continue reading The Displaced History Thread
This week’s optional discussion prompt: What historical subjects did you first encounter through pop culture? Was it enough to pique your interest, like Miku finding her beloved Sengoku Warlords through a video game? Was there something that seemed interesting in … Continue reading The Popular History Thread
This week’s optional discussion topic: Psychology knowledge and misconceptions. Like a lot of sciences, psychology seems to filter down to the broader public in crude, easily caricatured form, causing misconceptions that linger for decades after actual research and expert knowledge … Continue reading The History Thread Is All In The Mind
This week’s discussion prompt: Worst/least interesting part of history? Inspired by a PT discussion: which parts of history (either specific periods, or events or aspects) do you find least interesting to study or learn about? Please be kind to each … Continue reading The Boring History Thread
This week’s History Thread is inspired by the idiotic fu-for-all over a certain movie in theaters: Worst historical inaccuracies in media. Some anachronisms are unavoidable, some jiggering with the timeline in a historical drama is probably unavoidable. But what kinds … Continue reading The Historically Inaccurate History Thread
This week’s optional thread topic: common arguments within your field of study or interest. Can be serious academic debates or nonspecialists crashing the party with poor understanding or ideological motivations. Continue reading The Argumentative History Thread
Today’s optional discussion topic: National myths. America’s 250th seems like a good time to kick around this subject. On July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formalizing the United States’ breaking away from England. “[Independence Day] … Continue reading The Independent History Thread
This week’s topic: Historical topics that dumb people need to shut up about. Inspired by a mini-thread in the Politics Thread the other day, what are some historical topics that people apparently can’t talk about without seeming like morons? r/AskHistorians … Continue reading The History Thread Needs to Shut Up
This week’s History Thread’s optional discussion topic: LGBTQ history. Discuss noteworthy events and people in queer history, from early activists like the Mattachine Society (header) and Daughters of Bilitis to Harvey Milk and ACT UP, or even further back before … Continue reading The History Thread Celebrates Pride Month
Reading a bunch of books on Vietnam recently, and spending a lot of time around Robert McNamara, the Secretary of Defense whose ideas that he could logic America into winning an unwinnable war led to massive tragedy. For decades it’s … Continue reading The Best and the Brightest History Thread
Today’s optional topic: historical foods. There are a whole slew of websites, podcasts and YouTube channels devoted to recreating historical dishes, from pre-modern recipes to early versions of food you’d find today, and it’s always fun to ponder how the … Continue reading The History Thread Ruins the Digestive System
After last week’s much-needed vacation (including a successful expedition to the Antietam battlefield in Maryland), the History Thread returns. Open discussion this week, discuss what you will. Continue reading The Relaxed History Thread
On September 25, 1957, Karl Patterson Schmidt received a package from the Lincoln Park Zoo at his office in Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History. Schmidt was one of the world’s most renowned herpetologists, known for personally traveling to the … Continue reading History Thread: Please Don’t Squeeze the Boomslang!
On September 18, 1954 a pair of Australian skin divers emerged from the water off Port Darwin. Kirke Dyson-Holland, aged 21, was a native of Victoria who was on leave from the Australian Navy. A handsome blond man, known affectionate … Continue reading History Thread: Don’t Toss the Octopus!
April 23rd is World Book Day, so let’s celebrate by discussing what history books were most important to shaping you or your interests? Or documentaries, if you want. Continue reading The History Thread Celebrates World Book Day
Terrified of being buried alive? Fortunately, thanks to the 19th Century’s bizarre obsession with premature burial, you can purchase any number of patented safety coffins! You might try Christian Henry Eisenbrandt’s 1841 coffin, with a spring-loaded door that would instantly … Continue reading The History Thread Promises a Safe Burial!
2026 has given us many opportunities to ponder the downfall of empires. What causes a major state to collapse? Internal divisions, poor leadership, military or territorial overreach, economic stagnation, simple stupidity? Lots of case studies to consider here. I’d type … Continue reading Implied, History Thread, or Implode?
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