Some helpful links for historically-driven role-playing:

GAME SYSTEMS

GURPS
Spirit of the Century
Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes
FUDGE
PulpHERO
Modern Age

ROLE-PLAYING UTILITIES

On-line die roller
Kate Monk’s Onomastikon (collection of world names)
TableSmith (table-making utility)
Fantasy Name Generator (includes real-world names)
US Inflation Calculator
Statistical Atlas of the United States
Interactive World History Atlas