Closer than it feels

A subject that sits closer to now than to the one it is always filed beside.

What this page collects

Every juxtaposition here trades on the same kind of surprise. Grouping them is a way to find more of the one you liked, rather than a claim that the grouping means anything in itself: the same two subjects could be put together a different way and land somewhere else entirely.

The surprise is almost always the same underneath. People judge historical distance by how much they know about a period rather than by how long it lasted, and we know far more about the recent past, so it feels longer than it was. Everything older collapses toward everything else older. Drawn to scale, that collapse is visible, and the answer stops being a matter of opinion.

Why time feels compressed goes through that properly.

Where does the Battle of Manzikert belong?
battle between the Byzantine Empire and Seljuk Turks
?
1. the Colossus of Rhodesdated 284 BC
2. Helmut Kohllived 1930 to 2017
Placed between the Colossus of Rhodes and Helmut Kohl
Play Answer
Where does the Yuan dynasty belong?
Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China
?
1. the Rosetta Stonedated 196 BC
2. J. Robert Oppenheimerlived 1904 to 1967
Placed between the Rosetta Stone and J. Robert Oppenheimer
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Where does the House of Bourbon belong?
European royal house of French origin
?
1. the Greco-Persian Warsran 499 BC to 449 BC
2. Francisco Goyalived 1746 to 1828
Placed between the Greco-Persian Wars and Francisco Goya
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Where does Xuanzang belong?
Chinese Buddhist monk and scholar
?
1. Tarantofounded 706 BC
2. the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyfounded 1861
Placed between Taranto and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Where does the University of Bologna belong?
university in Bologna, Italy
?
1. the First Dynasty of Egyptdated 3150 BC, ended 2890 BC
2. Rutherford B. Hayeslived 1822 to 1893
Placed between the First Dynasty of Egypt and Rutherford B. Hayes
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Where does Richard I of England belong?
King of England
?
1. Çatalhöyüksettled 7500 BC to 5700 BC
2. the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealthdated 1569, ended 1795
Placed between Çatalhöyük and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
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Where does Machu Picchu belong?
Inca citadel in the Peruvian Andes and UNESCO World
?
1. Solomonlived 990 BC to 931 BC
2. the Second Crusaderan 1147 to 1149
Placed between Solomon and the Second Crusade
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Where does Leif Erikson belong?
norse explorer
?
1. Hipparchuslived 190 BC to 120 BC
2. the Attack on Pearl Harborfought 1941
Placed between Hipparchus and the Attack on Pearl Harbor
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Where does the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus belong?
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
?
1. Hammurabilived 1810 BC to 1750 BC
2. Joan Mirólived 1893 to 1983
Placed between Hammurabi and Joan Miró
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Where does Mehmed II belong?
seventh Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
?
1. the Greco-Persian Warsran 499 BC to 449 BC
2. L. L. Zamenhoflived 1859 to 1917
Placed between the Greco-Persian Wars and L. L. Zamenhof
Play Answer
Where does the House of Valois belong?
cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty
?
1. the Ptolemaic dynastydated 305 BC, ended 30 BC
2. Nelson Mandelalived 1918 to 2013
Placed between the Ptolemaic dynasty and Nelson Mandela
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Where does the Ayyubid dynasty belong?
Islamic dynasty
?
1. Agrigentofounded 580 BC
2. Har Gobind Khoranalived 1922 to 2011
Placed between Agrigento and Har Gobind Khorana
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Where does Machu Picchu belong?
Inca citadel in the Peruvian Andes and UNESCO World
?
1. the Battle of Actiumdated 31 BC
2. the Russian Civil Warran 1917 to 1922
Placed between the Battle of Actium and the Russian Civil War
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Where does the University of Bologna belong?
university in Bologna, Italy
?
1. the Shang dynastydated 1600 BC, ended 1046 BC
2. Ludwig van Beethovenlived 1770 to 1827
Placed between the Shang dynasty and Ludwig van Beethoven
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Where does Johannes Gutenberg belong?
German inventor and craftsman
?
1. Amenhotep IIIlived 1400 BC to 1351 BC
2. the Battle of Toursfought 732
Placed between Amenhotep III and the Battle of Tours
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Where does the Papal States belong?
territories mostly in the Appenine Peninsula under the sovereign
?
1. Çatalhöyüksettled 7500 BC to 5700 BC
2. Edgar Degaslived 1834 to 1917
Placed between Çatalhöyük and Edgar Degas
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Where does Charles University belong?
oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic
?
1. Hammurabilived 1810 BC to 1750 BC
2. the Franco-Prussian Warfought 1870 to 1871
Placed between Hammurabi and the Franco-Prussian War
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Where does the Greco-Persian Wars belong?
series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire of Persia
?
1. the First Dynasty of Egyptdated 3150 BC, ended 2890 BC
2. Gabriel García Márquezlived 1927 to 2014
Placed between the First Dynasty of Egypt and Gabriel García Márquez
Play Answer
Where does Constantinople belong?
capital of the Eastern Roman, Latin and Ottoman Empires
?
1. Darius Ilived 550 BC to 486 BC
2. Baskin-Robbinsdated 1945
Placed between Darius I and Baskin-Robbins
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Where does the House of Plantagenet belong?
English royal dynasty in medieval England
?
1. Tarantofounded 706 BC
2. Anne Boleynlived 1501 to 1536
Placed between Taranto and Anne Boleyn
Play Answer
Where does Farabi belong?
Persian philosopher and jurist
?
1. the Qin dynastydated 221 BC, ended 206 BC
2. Josephine Bakerlived 1906 to 1975
Placed between the Qin dynasty and Josephine Baker
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Where does the Battle of Uhud belong?
early Islamic battle
?
1. Amenhotep IIIlived 1400 BC to 1351 BC
2. the World Health Organizationdated 1948
Placed between Amenhotep III and the World Health Organization
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Where does the Holy Roman Empire belong?
multi-ethnic complex of territories in Western and Central Europe
?
1. the Rosetta Stonedated 196 BC
2. Katsushika Hokusailived 1760 to 1849
Placed between the Rosetta Stone and Katsushika Hokusai
Play Answer
Where does the Hundred Years' War belong?
series of conflicts and wars between England and France
?
1. Çatalhöyüksettled 7500 BC to 5700 BC
2. Christ the Redeemerbuilt 1920
Placed between Çatalhöyük and Christ the Redeemer
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Where does the Treaty of Tordesillas belong?
treaty dividing territory between Portugal and Spain
?
1. the Ptolemaic dynastydated 305 BC, ended 30 BC
2. the University of California, Los Angelesdated 1919
Placed between the Ptolemaic dynasty and the University of California, Los Angeles
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Where does Charles University belong?
oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic
?
1. Urdated 3800 BC, ended 500 BC
2. Louis Pasteurlived 1822 to 1895
Placed between Ur and Louis Pasteur
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Where does Sandro Botticelli belong?
Italian painter
?
1. the Shang dynastydated 1600 BC, ended 1046 BC
2. Christopher Leelived 1922 to 2015
Placed between the Shang dynasty and Christopher Lee
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Where does the Kingdom of England belong?
historic kingdom on the British Isles
?
1. the Battle of Salamisdated 480 BC
2. Vichy Francedated 1940, ended 1944
Placed between the Battle of Salamis and Vichy France
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Where does Constantinople belong?
capital of the Eastern Roman, Latin and Ottoman Empires
?
1. Çatalhöyüksettled 7500 BC to 5700 BC
2. Arlington National Cemeteryestablished 1854
Placed between Çatalhöyük and Arlington National Cemetery
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Where does Cleopatra belong?
queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51
?
1. the Great Pyramiddated 2560 BC
2. Apollo 11launched 1969
Placed between the Great Pyramid and Apollo 11
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Where does Bartolomeu Dias belong?
Portuguese explorer
?
1. Ancient Carthagedated 814 BC, ended 146 BC
2. Ray Charleslived 1930 to 2004
Placed between Ancient Carthage and Ray Charles
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Where does Charles University belong?
oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic
?
1. the Xia dynastydated 2205 BC, ended 1600 BC
2. Davidlived 1039 BC to 969 BC
Placed between the Xia dynasty and David
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Where does the Reconquista belong?
period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula
?
1. Syracusefounded 733 BC
2. Paul Diraclived 1902 to 1984
Placed between Syracuse and Paul Dirac
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Where does Petrarch belong?
Italian scholar and poet
?
1. Abu Simbeldated 1274 BC
2. Jeromelived 345 to 420
Placed between Abu Simbel and Jerome
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Where does the Ayyubid dynasty belong?
Islamic dynasty
?
1. the Temple of Ephesian Artemisdated 323 BC
2. the Washington Monumentdated 1848
Placed between the Temple of Ephesian Artemis and the Washington Monument
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Where does Johannes Gutenberg belong?
German inventor and craftsman
?
1. Thebesdated 3200 BC
2. the Charter of the United Nationsdated 1945
Placed between Thebes and the Charter of the United Nations
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Where does Ferdinand Magellan belong?
Portuguese explorer in the service of Spain
?
1. the Battle of Salamisdated 480 BC
2. Robert Falcon Scottlived 1868 to 1912
Placed between the Battle of Salamis and Robert Falcon Scott
Play Answer

Everything, on one timeline