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104

TIL about the Seal of Solomon, a signet ring attributed to King Solomon in medieval Arabic tradition. It is the predecessor of the Star of David, and gave Solomon the power to command demons, jinn (genies) and spirits, or to speak with animals.

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VnyD TIL that the -pter in “helicopter” and “pterodactyl” are from the same Greek word “pteron” meaning ‘wing’
rRb1x TIL that, while often used interchangeably, “prejudice” refers to preconceived ideas about a particular group regardless of reason, “bigotry” denotes discriminatory behavior without need for any system or power, & “racism” involves the unequal distribution of power on the basis of race.
d8mdK TIL that hundreds of women disguised themselves as men in order to fight in the American Civil War. They were first discovered in 1863, when a Union burial detail found that the corpse of a woman wearing the uniform of a Confederate private. Estimates put the number of female soldiers at 400-750.
5YJan TIL In 1903, the New York Times declared that "flying machines" were essentially a waste of time—only a week before the Wright brothers successfully flew their airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
9wZbX TIL: A comedian formed the Union of Conscientiously Work-Shy Elements in Denmark as a joke, but he was unexpected elected with 23k votes and won a seat. His promises were better Christmas presents, the right to impotency, more renaissance furniture at IKEA, more bread for ducks, and better weather.