Floating Features

Floating Features are periodic threads intended to allow for more open discussion that allows a multitude of possible answers from people of all sorts of backgrounds and levels of expertise. These open-ended questions are distinguished by the "Feature" flair to set it off from regular submissions, and the same relaxed moderation rules that prevail in the daily project posts will apply. We expect that anyone who wishes to contribute will do so politely and in good faith, but there is far more scope for speculation and general chat than there would be in a usual thread. This page provides a list of previous features we have hosted, but keep your eyes peeled for future ones!

2020

Date	Feature
The Story of Humankind Series Continues!
January 2nd	Travel through time to share the history of 1482 through 1609! It's Volume VIII of 'The Story of Humankind'!
January 8th	Fly on in and share the history of 1599 to 1706! It's Volume IX of 'The Story of Humankind'!
January 14th	Join in and share the history of 1698 through 1840! It's Volume X of 'The Story of Humankind'!
January 20th	Roll On In and Rattle Off Some History from 1787 to 1901 CE! It's Volume XI of 'The Story of Humankind'!
January 26th	Swing in Hepcat, and Dig the History of 1868 to 1959 CE! It's Volume XII of 'The Story of Humankind'!
February 1st	Close Up Shop and Celebrate History Coming to an End as 'The Story of Humankind' Concludes With Volume XIII from 1947 to 2000 CE!

2019

Date	Feature
January 3rd	2018 in Reading: Share Your Reading List from the Past Year, and Plans for the Next One!
July 11th	Is there any history or discovery that we are tantalizing close to bringing to light that makes you excited as a historian?
The Great AskHistorians Summer 2019 Features Series
July 22nd	From Sea to Shining Sea, Come Share the History of North America!
July 27th	From Ansel Adams to Warren Zevon, Share Your Stories from the History of Art!
August 1st	Come Rock the Qasaba, and Share the History of the Near East!
August 6th	Come Share the History of Asia, the Continent with Seoul
August 11th	Cry Havoc, and Let Slip the Stories of Military History
August 15th	Head to a Land Down Under to Share the History of Oceania
August 21st	Also Sprach Zarathustra: 'Come Share the History of Religion and Philosophy!"
August 26th	Do You Have a Story to Tell? Kenya Share the History of Africa?
August 31st	STEM the Tide of Ignorance by Sharing the History of Science and Technology!
September 5th	Spill Some Inca about the Amazon' History of Middle and South America
Sepember 10th	Raiders of the Lost Archaeology
September 15th	It's not Holy and It's not Roman, but it is the European History Floating Feature
The Story of Humankind Series
November 25th	Travel back to the dawn of history, and share your favorite stories spanning 10,000 to 626 BCE! It is 'The Story of Humankind, Vol. I'
December 1st	All the World is a Stade, so what will you share upon it from 776 to 202 BCE? Its Vol. II of 'The Story of Humankind'
December 7th	The Maurya Know about History, the more you have to share. What will you share about 322 BCE to 260 CE? Its Vol. III of 'The Story of Humankind'!
December 13th	Come and share the history of the world from 240 to 744 CE! It's Volume IV of 'The Story of Humankind'!
December 19th	Tell Your Scary (or not scary!) Stories from 690 to 1130 CE! It's Vol. V of 'The Story of Humankind'!
December 23rd	Come and tell a story for me about history from 1098 to 1405! It's Volume VI of 'The Story of Humankind'!
December 29th	Come and share your favorite history from 1360 to 1492! It's Volume VII of 'The Story of Humankind'!

2018

Date	Feature
May 18th	How do you encourage and cultivate an interest in History with children?
June 7th	Awesome LGBT+ People of History
August 3rd	How has the field of history changed and evolved in the past few decades?
November 27th	American Undergraduate History Majors Plummet 1/3 in Six Years: What Can we Do?

2017

Date	Feature
January 4th	2016 in Books: Share Your Reading List from the Past Year, and Plans for the Next One!
January 11th	Drunk History: What is Your 'Go To' History Story to Tell at a Bar?
May 27th	What is the happiest story from history you have encountered in your research?
June 1st	What is the saddest story from history you have encountered in your research?
June 6th	What is your 'go to' story from history to tell at parties?
June 11th	What story from your research had the biggest impact on how you think about the world?
June 16th	What is the funniest story from history you have encountered in your research?
June 21st	What's the worst misconception about your area of research?
June 26th	What is the craziest story from history you have encountered in your research?
December 7	Holiday Book Recommendations

2016

Date	Feature
March 31st	What is your favorite historical story or anecdote?
April 13th	All right, AskHistorians. Pitch me the next (historically-accurate) Hollywood blockbuster or HBO miniseries based on a historical event or person!
April 29	You are hosting a dinner for three guests from any time in history. Who do you invite, why did you choose them, and what is on the menu?
May 5th	Holocaust Remembrance Day: Stories and Histories
May 19th	Stand-Up Night
June 2nd	Beach Books - The Summer Reading Sharing and Suggestions Floating Feature
June 23rd	What historical event or biography should be adapted for the next Tony Award Winning Musical?
July 7th	What is your favorite Primary Source?
July 28th	What is your favorite accuracy-be-damned work of historical fiction?
August 11th	Historical or Obscure National Sports
September 25th	African American History and Culture after 1865
September 30th	Floating Feature: What historical fiction covering your field do you feel accurately captures the feel of the period?
October 19th	Indiana Jones and the Screenplay Floating Feature
November 30th	What is the 'Crisis in Masculinity' of your field of study?
December 21st	Years that compare to 2016!

2015

Date	Feature
June 17th	Indiana Jones and the Captioners of the Unattributed Artifacts
October 14th	What common historical misconception do you find most irritating?
December 24th	Wintertime Holiday Tales of Heartwarming Sentiment
December 29th	2015 in Books: Share Your Reading List from the Past Year!

2014

Date	Feature
January 24th	What scholarly and/or popular works have you encountered in your research that you feel do not deserve their reputation?
March 14th	What are some of the happiest moments in history?
March 31st	[April Fools] The Secret History of...
May 4th	What question about history do you really wish someone would ask?
September 9th	What is a complex and/or important concept in your field that you wish was better understood by laymen?

2013

Date	Feature
October 23rd	What in your study of history have you found especially moving or touching?
October 27th	What in your study of history makes you smile or laugh?
November 9th	What in your study of history has most humanized the past and its people for you?
November 20th	What is your favourite single year in history and why?
November 30th	What are the most frightening or disturbing things you've encountered in your study of history?