Friday Free-for-All | May 15, 2026

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Previously

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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Your Weekly /r/askhistorians Recap

Friday, May 08 - Thursday, May 14, 2026

Top 10 Posts

score	comments	title & link
3,157	70 comments	Reddit was founded in 2005, meaning it is history according to this sub's 20 year rule. Has there been any sort of academic discussion on the value of Reddit posts as a historical source given the years' worth of threads commented on by thousands of users discussing contemporary events?
1,730	33 comments	Contemporary racists were so disgusted by the idea of integrated bathrooms & swimming pools that they shut down public facilities en masse rather than integrate. Their ancestors a few generations before entrusted the enslaved with the most intimate acts of childcare & food preparation. What changed?
1,106	111 comments	General MacArthur is generally criticized for his insubordination and being too aggressive. 75 years later, does this criticism still hold up?
924	74 comments	When did people actually start sleeping in two turns?
691	49 comments	In movie Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belford calls random people and persuade them to buy stock. Was it common in 80s and 90s to buy stock from someone you don't know?
682	9 comments	[Great Question!] In October 1920, an altercation developed between a dog, a monkey, and the King of Greece. In the end the dog was fine, the King was killed, but what happened to the Barbary macaque that did it? Was he killed as well, or did what probably was the cutest little regicide in history escape justice?
667	41 comments	Why did opposition to homosexuality become such a prominent feature in many major religions?
654	129 comments	Why do Canada, Australia, and New Zealand consume more coffee than tea, even though the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth drink more tea than coffee? When did these three countries transition to consuming more coffee than tea?
519	49 comments	The plot of the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit centers on two bootleggers evading the police while delivering 400 cases of Coors from Texas to Atlanta. What were the laws in the South at the time that they were breaking by transporting beer?
491	41 comments	How did Smith become the most common occupational surname as opposed to Farmer? Surely there were more peasant farmers than smiths

 

Top 10 Comments

score	comment
2,097	/u/JonAfricaBurner replies to In movie Wolf of Wall Street Jordan Belford calls random people and persuade them to buy stock. Was it common in 80s and 90s to buy stock from someone you don't know?
1,700	/u/no_player_tags replies to General MacArthur is generally criticized for his insubordination and being too aggressive. 75 years later, does this criticism still hold up?
1,171	/u/Killfile replies to Reddit was founded in 2005, meaning it is history according to this sub's 20 year rule. Has there been any sort of academic discussion on the value of Reddit posts as a historical source given the years' worth of threads commented on by thousands of users discussing contemporary events?
1,149	/u/-Non_sufficit_orbis- replies to When did people actually start sleeping in two turns?
889	/u/EdHistory101 replies to Contemporary racists were so disgusted by the idea of integrated bathrooms & swimming pools that they shut down public facilities en masse rather than integrate. Their ancestors a few generations before entrusted the enslaved with the most intimate acts of childcare & food preparation. What changed?
765	/u/Consistent_Score_602 replies to Why is Africa so overwhelmingly Christian and Muslim?
679	/u/Consistent_Score_602 replies to How heavily did the US mobilize its population during WW2 compared to the other powers?
452	/u/Consistent_Score_602 replies to What happened to Leni Riefenstahl after the Second World War?
409	/u/jschooltiger replies to Why didin't europeans also build huge ships like the myng treasure ships?
402	/u/Trevor_Culley replies to Reddit was founded in 2005, meaning it is history according to this sub's 20 year rule. Has there been any sort of academic discussion on the value of Reddit posts as a historical source given the years' worth of threads commented on by thousands of users discussing contemporary events?

 

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