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TIL ancient geographers knew that Earth was a sphere but there was intense debate on the question if the opposite side of the planet is also inhabited by humans (called Antipodeans). Most thought that Antipodeans do not exist because intense heat at the equator forms an impassable barrier.

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mRpM TIL “Chimney Sweeps” were originally enslaved children who would shimmy up a chimney with a cleaning brush - and oftentimes they would get stuck in the process and die. The deaths were so common that brick masons developed a technique to open chimneys and extract bodies quickly.
JYd0j TIL: Most Coal formed before Fungus could break down trees. After Fungus evolved to do so, Coal became far less likely to form naturally making it a true non-renewable resource.
wLklJ TIL Robert E. Lee owned a plantation across the river from Washington DC until the start of the civil war. The Lees abandoned the home and the Union army occupied their land, ultimately burying Union war dead there to spite Lee for his treason. It is now Arlington National Cemetery.
neVGB TIL Rosacea helps to maintain antimicrobial peptide levels during UV-deficient winters to combat life-threatening microbial infections, such as lupus vulgaris. Therefore, rosacea should not be considered as a disadvantage, but as evolution's blessing of the Celts which improved their survival.
wWyE TIL that the Yellow Star imposed upon Jewish citizens in Nazi Germany was not a Nazi invention but originated in Medina under Islam in the 8th century