Questions tagged [history]
For puzzles referencing or relating to historical events or knowledge. Use tag 'puzzle-history' for the history of puzzles.
115
questions
6
votes
1answer
113 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
243 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
378 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
212 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
729 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 ...
8
votes
2answers
320 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
207 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
271 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
817 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
379 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
204 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 ...
3
votes
0answers
105 views
And yet you'll reunite
Your crush texted you:
Met me there, tomorrow, 21th of July. Prove all your romance is true. Prove what you learnt in maths, computer science, litterature... and during all those years of studying ...
12
votes
1answer
425 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
372 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
926 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
205 views
Cross-Numbers (not words)!
Can you solve this Crossword (Cross-numbers) with numbers from the given pictures ?
ACROSS
DOWN
6
votes
1answer
342 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
75 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
834 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 ...
74
votes
4answers
6k 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
261 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
358 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
256 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
175 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
180 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 ...
5
votes
3answers
229 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
153 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
201 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
89 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
185 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
780 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
141 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
208 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
355 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
313 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 ...
11
votes
5answers
649 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
147 views
A throwaway riddle
My first followed a schism
Of proto-Protestantism
My second preceded a war
Of a decade and a score
My third was ready for bed
Possibly done by the Reds
15
votes
2answers
1k views
I was a middle sister
Both of my siblings served in a war, in which the younger one got
killed.
I knew the richest people in the world. But also the poor.
I died young, on a cold night.
Who am I?
7
votes
1answer
321 views
Who is this great man?
A man of great power,
beloved of a nation,
leader of an army,
exalted in his station.
When he marched to battle,
all his might assembled,
soldiers, once formidable,
in sight of him, they ...
10
votes
1answer
1k views
Which historical person am I
Which historical person am I
No surrender in my name
soldiering not the source of my fame
Horses are my thing, you see.
They almost eat me.
I like going outside
my body may be ...
0
votes
1answer
148 views
Who am I?- I lived towards the end of the age of enlightenment
I was able show the deconstruction of the intellectual pretension of the Enlightenment. Everyone was under the assumption that reason and science are the only routes to reality and truth. I perceived ...
4
votes
1answer
211 views
when was the battle?
Recently, an old grave were discovered in Italy. On the grave was written a mysterious inscription (originally in italian but translated in english there).
Here lies an italian soldier who died in ...
-2
votes
6answers
362 views
Clue of origin with a connection to mythology
Assume that you were privileged and invited to attend a party arranged during a pre-historic time. It was hosted by none other than Adam (the mythological man as per religious beliefs), the first man, ...
1
vote
3answers
295 views
WWII Headshots - a strange story
This was brought to mind by a similar question from @Chuck. In any case, I heard mine elsewhere and cannot vouch for its veracity, just thought it would be cool to share:
During WW2, the British ...
35
votes
1answer
1k views
Save our WWII planes
This is an actual piece of real history, and an illustration of smart thinking.
During WWII, Allied airforces were having a difficult time getting their bombers to withstand German artillery. Their ...
7
votes
1answer
210 views
The Warlock's Will
Your master, the great Warlock William the Wide, has recently passed away. In his will, he left you a crystal box with a grid of squares and names on top and a note:
The note reads:
You are ...
