› added 1 year ago

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TIL Harran (in present-day southern Turkey) remained a stronghold of paganism (Mesopotamian moon worship with Hellenistic influences) well until the 10th Century AD. Harran remained pagan during both the entirety of (Christian) Byzantine rule and the first first four centuries of Muslim rule.

W7adY TIL that Keith Moon, drummer for "The Who," was fond of blowing up hotel toilets. Starting with cherry bombs he later graduated to dynamite. Once, in response to a noise complaint, Moon asked a hotel manager to stay while he went to the bathroom, returned, and then waited for the toilet to explode
l7KN5 TIL There is such thing as Vets without Borders, like Doctors Without Borders but for animals (they help people too). Started in Ontario, Canada, now active in over 17 countries and growing.
yVrRa TIL that during Napoleon's 1798 Egyptian campaign, he brought along 167 scholars, scientists, and artists to study ancient Egypt. This "Scientific Expedition" led to significant discoveries, including the Rosetta Stone, which was key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs.
JZYV TIL that although samurai are best known for their swordsmanship, originally the way of the warrior was the way of the horse and the bow. “kyūjutsu [art of archery] was actually considered a more vital skill for a significant portion of Japanese history”
kJPm7 TIL about the SPCSCPG, or "Society for the Prevention of Calling Sleeping Car Porters 'George'", originally started as a joke but eventually had over 30,000 members.