Questions tagged [history]
For puzzles referencing or relating to historical events or knowledge. Use tag 'puzzle-history' for the history of puzzles.
125
questions
16
votes
2answers
4k views
I found a puzzle that no-one can solve
I found a puzzle that no-one can solve.
I created a law but I was not a lawyer.
I lived in a hostile world but found refuge in a hut.
Who was I, and can you explain my story?
Clue 1
Clue 2
5
votes
6answers
1k views
12
votes
2answers
742 views
Can anyone help poor Fblthp?
my name is Fblthp, and I am completely lost.
I don't know the location of my home planet, and given the barriers in language and culture, I can't tell you its name in any meaningful manner either.
The ...
7
votes
2answers
416 views
Connect Wall: Americana
In honor of Flag Day here in the United States, I hope you're up for another connect wall! The set of sixteen words below can be partitioned into groups of four words that have something in common. ...
2
votes
1answer
71 views
This day in history VIII
What historical event happened on this day (11th May). Can you explain the clues? Also, well done to El-Guest who got the answer to This day in history VII.
A man of great mind
Bested by the first ...
1
vote
1answer
39 views
This day in history VII
This day in history was solved first by Glorfindel with Yuzuriha Inori giving a more detailed answer. Today (9th May), a number of years ago, some sort of event happened. What was it and what do the ...
3
votes
2answers
184 views
This day in history VI
It was defectedWBC who got the last one. Well done! On this day (8th May) an event happened. Can you tell me the event, explain the clues and tell me what year it happened.
A sickly-sweet syrup-like ...
3
votes
1answer
57 views
This day in history V
Well done to Beastly Gerbil who got the answer to This day in history IV. Something happened on 4th May a certain number of years ago. Can you tell me what it was and how many years ago it happened?
...
5
votes
1answer
77 views
This day in history IV
I haven't done one of these for almost a year and I'm planning to continue this. The correct answer to This day in history III was found by Mordechai (who just beat Tahel to it).
On this date (03/05/...
9
votes
1answer
234 views
Opération Gutenberg
Paris, 5 January 1858
Gutenberg is dead.
For five years I have been on this fanatic's trail. Five years of stalking his accomplices, intercepting his correspondence, tracking him down to his lairs ...
17
votes
2answers
889 views
Colouring the map of Canada
A previous question asked whether the map of the USA needs four colors.
Now, what about Canada? If you want to assign a colour to each province and territory, so that no two neighbours have the same ...
6
votes
1answer
118 views
Historical Figure Identification
The computer at the history museum is on the fritz! When asked about a famous general, all it spit out was
Clean. 2,000 lbs.
Who did it mean?
11
votes
1answer
247 views
Many have become me, many more desire to be me
For the past centuries, many have been me. Many more desire to become me. Some are forgotten, others are remembered.
At first I became a whole city; later on I've been a neighbor, a teddy bear, a ...
6
votes
2answers
389 views
What is the (apparently) next number in the sequence?
$42, 62, 67, 14, 27, 45, 4, 14\dots$
This is the number sequence which does not appear in OEIS and actually has little to do with maths. To find the next number, please look at the title and the tags!...
7
votes
1answer
218 views
What is this saying?
<=19
B: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, ...
P: <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X ...
AB: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -...
25
votes
5answers
4k views
Well-known American figure with Roman numerals
Which well-known American figure has an 8-letter name, with 6 consonants and all of them are Roman numerals?
18
votes
2answers
738 views
Enjoying a rest from the long commute!
You ask me where I used to work before I was retired?
Perhaps you’ll know if I tell tales of workers that I’ve fired...
The first who came and worked with me was fresh from Ivy League,
But ...
9
votes
3answers
372 views
The Marching Tune
And a one, and a two, and a three four five six!
Or a one, and a two, and a three four five!
From my home right here,
To the end way down there!
And then I have a choice
Of a one, a two, or a ...
5
votes
1answer
217 views
A Remote Location
Here be a simple problem
For the keen directmate eye
White to move and win
In seven moves, Black shall die
However, I remember now a relative
Long ago did he begin to live
About a two decades or ...
8
votes
1answer
318 views
What do Teignmouth, Paris, Ulm, Auxerre, Brunswick, Beaumont-en-Auge, and Ryazan have in common?
In the book Real World Haskell, there's a non-programming-related puzzle in a footnote at the bottom of page 15, in the middle of a simple text-processing problem:
...
Find or create a text ...
3
votes
2answers
825 views
This day in history III
The correct answer to This day in history II was found by Jan Ivan with credit to Tahel.
A certain amount of years ago on this day (29/07), something happened. What is it and how many years ago did ...
6
votes
1answer
395 views
This day in history II
This day in history I was correctly answered by PotatoLatte. I will describe an event from a certain number of years ago that happened today (28/07). I would like you to tell me both he event and the ...
2
votes
1answer
214 views
This day in history I
THIS DAY IN HISTORY is a series of puzzles I intend to create in which I choose an event a certain amount of years ago. I need you to figure the event and tell me how many years ago it happened
From ...
12
votes
1answer
434 views
Where shall we go next?
The following nonogram is about $92\%$ solvable. Also, the grid is not really like it should be.
All this feels somewhat annoying, but honestly, not that much, because this is most likely the last ...
5
votes
2answers
375 views
Historical puzzle
We have three facts.
In reality, there are 13. But in Germany, there are 12.
One is Russian, one is French.
The thing they've created is spread all around the world.
What is it?
Edit: One more hint....
14
votes
1answer
941 views
One night in Baker Street
The raindrops ran down the windows of 221B Baker Street while Sherlock Holmes played a sad melody upon his violin. The weather and the music reflected his mood, for it had been a trying and vexatious ...
9
votes
1answer
215 views
Cross-Numbers (not words)!
Can you solve this Crossword (Cross-numbers) with numbers from the given pictures ?
ACROSS
DOWN
6
votes
1answer
346 views
Head of a Reich takes a seat
A fabric is used for a pretty silk dress,
an empire eventually broke under stress,
a language once used one's ideas to express,
a man, head of Reich long before the SS.
What am I?
2
votes
1answer
76 views
It was often searched for. What is it?
Maybe it's wooden.
Maybe it's golden.
It could be made out of greenish glass.
Most likely it has not that much mass.
-
Some think it is already found,
Most think it could still be somewhere ...
15
votes
5answers
841 views
Never shall we die…!
Here now the accounts of the nine pirate lords
And one impostor amidst them all
Here now their voice and story
And which impostor to die
The first of all is the chief of all
Hidden by ...
76
votes
4answers
7k views
The mother of all age-of-the-captain riddles
A few days ago, as I was delving into the mess in my grand parents' attic, I found an impressive ancient book that was written in a language that I had never seen before.
"This book is a collection ...
5
votes
2answers
266 views
Who is richer? A two-way lie-fest
The richest person in ancient Greece had to pay a special tax. The rulers rode to Alexander, a very rich man, and asked for the tax. Alexander, who liked his fortune, told them that they had the wrong ...
13
votes
1answer
366 views
The thousand-year enigma
Three two and five versus one five and three twos,
sellable merchandise made out of these clues,
latter being northern the first's in the east,
country's name one thousand years back at least.
...
7
votes
2answers
269 views
Time To Fix The Machine
Yesterday, I received a call from Mr. X who asked for my assistance in fixing his time machine, which he suspected had been damaged during one of his adventures. Since an initial inspection revealed ...
6
votes
3answers
180 views
Songsmiths and dictators
Russian to infamous Soviet dictator.
Spanish to liquefied timepiece creator.
English to songsmith with capital name.
French to one whose end in Waterloo came.
What are we listing?
7
votes
1answer
193 views
An eerie warning from the other side
I often enjoy hiking through the trails near my home, and I try to ensure I do so at least once a week. Yesterday, I decided to go for a hike, and as I wandered through a lesser known trail I stumbled ...
6
votes
3answers
231 views
The First Great War
I am a great battle; long ago I took place,
The name is Nick though that wasn't always the case.
The King or the prince, which one was greater?,
Some said "The king!, The prince, he came ...
5
votes
1answer
157 views
Cut to the quick part
Bill the grave offender,
venerable, form filler,
leaving a paper trail,
found on an old 3D tail,
the fastest ending last,
bucks the trend on April first?
1
vote
2answers
204 views
Who is Pete's favourite scientist?
Pete is back.
Pete met his old friend Steve at the hospital at the end of March. They both went to the same history class.
Pete: Hey!
Steve: Pete? Pete, is that you?
Pete: Yes. How are you? Haven't ...
1
vote
1answer
94 views
A name fit for rappers
My name is fit for rappers, though my title is a count;
The time I spent at sea no man of my day could surmount.
An empire's expansion was in large part my account;
The spice trade bought in ...
6
votes
1answer
192 views
Affix riddle with pharaoh
In the tongue of a beautiful pharaoh
for a prefix this word has a small O.
For a suffix small N,
for an infix small M,
and, itself, it is only a small O.
What is the word?
11
votes
3answers
783 views
Ever-changing nationalities
Make me Portuguese, and I live next door.
Make me Spanish, and I live in the same building.
Make me British, and I live far away.
Make me Dutch, and I live next door from there.
Make me French,...
3
votes
2answers
145 views
A mecca with bling
One word my city, it ends with a king;
two words my own name, a mecca with bling.
Three old trees decorate my hallowed doors,
four walls of aurum, a pool and two floors.
Five times nine ...
2
votes
2answers
215 views
The mysterious box: The First Clue
It was a normal day when I got the box came in the post. I opened it and found a handful of objects inside. I picked out a piece of paper and on it was a riddle:
The next clue lies within the top ...
4
votes
7answers
368 views
Born in a holy place
I was born in a holy place,
holy for a separate reason.
I was met with a great man's face,
a sight that's been lost through the seasons.
I was killed in an empire's base,
victim to ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
A humble riddle
I am a triumph, a thundering wall;
a goddess, a ruler the grandest of all.
I loom over towers that can touch the skies;
few of world's waters can rival my size.
A landmass colossal, a forebear of ...
4
votes
1answer
224 views
My prefix is salty and smarts, my infix will occupy without a g,
IMHO this is the hardest riley riddle I've seen.
My prefix is salty and smarts
My infix will occupy without a g
My suffix three white triangles upon the blue
For I myself require a council
(...
15
votes
7answers
1k views
5
votes
3answers
314 views
strange but true historical haiku
Kingdom without king
while surrounded by itself
was declaring war,
without wanting land.
Led by a fleet admiral,
without a navy.
But it had demands,
from many other countries:
from its own ...
11
votes
5answers
651 views
My body is top-heavy
My body is top-heavy, as my weapon is deadly.
To make my shot count, faith is needed in large amount.
A high profile target I may be, yet the white death never came for me.
When the ...
