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Posted by /u/Playergh

Did Italian soldiers in the Second World War consume more water than other armies because they had to boil pasta?

The notorious board/war game The Campaign for North Africa has, among its numerous small details, the rule that the Italians consume more water than the others because they use it to boil pasta. Is this increased water consumption supported by sources, and did the Italians even…

Posted by /u/Arthur-reborn

How common was it in Vietnam to avoid being drafted by the Army by joining the Navy/Air force first?

My dad came from a poor family and turned 18 right at the height of the Vietnam era drafts. He knew he was most likely going to be drafted and there wasn't much he could do about it. So him and his brother both signed onto the Navy before he could get a draft notice. He ended up…

Posted by /u/Wild0TT3R

How comfortable were people with nudity and mixed-gender settings in medieval Europe (14th–15th centuries) (Bath)?

Hi, And more specifically, during bathing time? Of course, in an era when religion and its precepts held great sway, I can easily imagine that public nudity was not well tolerated. But what about when people went to the public bathhouse, or any other place for washing the body?…

Posted by /u/optiplex9000

My father grew up in a small town in the US in the 70s. He told me a story where he was able to call home from his school by dialing just 4 numbers. When did phone calls start requiring 7 numbers like 555-5555 instead of just 5555?

Posted by /u/CatsDoingCrime

What is the current consensus on the historicity of the Trojan War?

In honor of a... certain movie that recently came out, I started to wonder: what actually is the current historical consensus on the Trojan war? I know for a while historians thought it was largely mythical, but then the actual city of Troy was found (and the guy who found it da…