Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it
On June 22, 1893 the HMS Victoria, the flagship of Britain’s Mediterranean fleet, sunk off the coast of Lebanon in a collision with the HMS Camperdown. The sinking occurred because Admiral George Tryon, commanding the fleet, misjudged the degree of … Continue reading The History Thread Collides!
Early Civil Rights pioneer Claudette Colvin passed away on Tuesday at age 85. Just 15 years old, she helped kick off the Montgomery Bus Boycott by refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus. For a variety of … Continue reading The History Thread Remembers Claudette Colvin
The History Thread makes its triumphant return for 2026! No topic this week, just discuss anything that you’ve read, watched or otherwise learned since we last met, or what you hope to learn more about in 2026. Continue reading New Year, New History Thread!
Welcome back to the History Thread! This will probably be the last thread of the year, since next Thursday is Christmas. We’ll celebrate with my semi-annual tradition of recapping the best history books I’ve read over the past year. My … Continue reading History Thread: Top 10 Reads of 2025
Agnew here, welcome back to the History Thread. I’ll be around off and on since I have a presentation for work today. Enjoy George Hetzel’s painting Fishing at Shade Run Furnace (1869), a wonderfully expressive example of the Scalp Level … Continue reading The Artistic History Thread
Agnew here. Unfortunately I overslept this morning and didn’t have time to prepare a proper header (as if such a thing exists anymore). So I’m going to declare this week’s thread a free discussion. Discuss anything you’ve read, watched or … Continue reading The History Thread Overslept!
Agnew here, in honor of my latest anime fixation this week’s discussion topic: Favorite historical crime or criminals? I’m thinking specifically of the “fun” kind of crime (daring heists, robberies, cons, whatever) more than say the dreary stuff like serial … Continue reading The Criminal History Thread
This week’s History Thread remembers John Vliet Lindsay, who was elected Mayor of New York City in 1965. A handsome Ivy League WASP and former Congressman, Lindsay was the last of a dying breed – a genuinely liberal Republican who … Continue reading The History Thread is Fresh and Everyone Else Is Tired
Optional discussion topic: Favorite piece of historical folklore. We talk about paranormal-tinged stuff often enough, but this seems an appropriate topic for the day before Halloween. Witches, werewolves, vampires, curses – many possible subjects without bringing that overrated Sasquatch into … Continue reading The Halloween History Thread
In October 1973, the Nobel Committee announced that the year’s Nobel Peace Prize would be awarded jointly to Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho. The American Secretary of State and North Vietnamese diplomat were to be awarded for their work … Continue reading The History Thread is at Hand
Welcome to the very belated History Thread! I’m going to try moving it to Thursday for pragmatic reasons (eg. my work schedule recently changed so posting it Tuesday won’t work), if this works we can try making this our permanent … Continue reading It’s a New Day for the History Thread!
The History Thread remains on Tuesday for another week! This week’s discussion focuses on the biggest, most popular topic of all, World War II. Recommend books, documentaries or podcasts, discuss specific events (whether well-known battles or lesser-known cultural and individual … Continue reading The History Thread at War
As we head into the Spooky Season, I’m hoping to put together a couple of Things That Are Not articles, as time and research allow. I’m also considering moving this thread to a different day, since my work schedule changes … Continue reading Hoaxing the History Thread
Today’s optional discussion prompt: Pseudoscience and its harms. Sometimes pseudoscience can be an eccentric but harmless set of beliefs. Other times, be it in the various iterations of racial science, Lysenko’s ridiculous (but state sponsored) ignorance of genetics, or the … Continue reading The Pseudo-Scientific History Thread
Welcome back to the History Thread! This week’s optional discussion prompt: how important is balance or impartiality in historical works? Obviously most historians seek to achieve something like a balanced perspective on the people or events they write about. But … Continue reading The Balanced History Thread
Almost missed a History Thread for this week because of my erratic work schedule. In the future I’ll try and put together a header exploring the weird phenomenon of skeletons sailing ships, but for now here’s explorer Richard Francis Burton, … Continue reading The Lost History Thread
My presence this week might be a little lighter than usual since I have some personal matters to attend to. No discussion prompt per se, but I went to a local historical event this past week and it was pretty … Continue reading Reenacting The History Thread
This week’s optional discussion prompt: Imperialism. Discuss its practice and impacts, its practitioners, its legacy, recommend books/documentaries and the like, from whichever perspective you prefer. Since Niall Ferguson doesn’t post here I’m not expecting any imperial apologia, but use your … Continue reading The Imperial History Thread
This week’s discussion prompt: is history inevitable? Are you a big believer in historical determinism, or do you think events are more heavily contingent upon the actions of individuals? Argue about this and other esoteric topics in the comments! Continue reading The Inevitable History Thread
Welcome to this week’s History Thread! Today’s header image shows Martin Luther King Jr. recoiling from a rock during his Chicago Campaign protesting unfair housing in the Windy City on August 5th, 1966. King was shocked by the vehemence of … Continue reading This Week’s History Thread
This week’s History Thread prompt: famous animals from history. The header features the famous baboon soldier Corporal Jackie, who served with a South African infantry regiment during the First World War. He was a pet of Private Jack Maar, who … Continue reading The History Thread Monkeys Around
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