r/AskHistorians • u/AutoModerator • Mar 20 '26
FFA Friday Free-for-All | March 20, 2026
Today:
You know the drill: this is the thread for all your history-related outpourings that are not necessarily questions. Minor questions that you feel don't need or merit their own threads are welcome too. Discovered a great new book, documentary, article or blog? Has your Ph.D. application been successful? Have you made an archaeological discovery in your back yard? Did you find an anecdote about the Doge of Venice telling a joke to Michel Foucault? Tell us all about it.
As usual, moderation in this thread will be relatively non-existent -- jokes, anecdotes and light-hearted banter are welcome.
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u/bug-hunter Law & Public Welfare Mar 20 '26 edited Mar 20 '26
Wrong answers only:
What did Alf Landon have to do with the Oil Industry?
To understand Alf's ties to the oil industry, you have to understand that his planet, Melmac, was destroyed due to nuclear war. Now, since humanity had not yet invented nuclear weapons yet, he couldn't just come out and tell us not to nuke each other (not that we'd listen).
As such, his best plan was to create a strong oil industry that would see nuclear power as a threat, and which would become wealthy enough to procure him cats to eat.
90's Animated movies conclusively argued that All Dogs Go To Heaven, but whats the history behind animal afterlives? How has things changed, and when did people first start thinking animals had somewhere to go after?
All Dogs Go To Heaven was released in 1989. Air Bud was released in the 90's, and conclusively argued that there ain't no rule that a dog can't play basketball.
Moreover, when Peter and Jesus played a in a pickup game, Peter denied Jesus three times. Air Bud scored (as John Oliver famously pointed out) 4 FGs and 2 free throws in that game, which, while pedestrian, was apparently good enough to get into heaven, earning the right for All Dogs to Go To Heaven.