› added 6 months ago

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TIL about the "lesbian vampire" archetype, which was used in the 19th-century gothic horror genre to circumvent the heavy censorship of lesbian characters

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grjB4 TIL One term at the signoria, the government of the republic of Florence, was only two months long. Its members were not elected but randomly selected from a pot of eligible names. During their term, the priors were required to abandon their private business and live full time at the city hall
d81AZ TIL After Eminem made a diss on Michael Jackson in 2005, Michael responded by buying Eminem's catalogue and making money off it every time he performed.
x0NB TIL that U.S. Marine Smedley Butler, one of the most decorated servicemen in American history, was a staunch critic of U.S. military endeavors, including his his own participation, saying “In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.”
4k4nb TIL that hummingbirds can fly backward because they can manipulate their feathers to change pitch, which affects whether they move up or down, and yaw, which affects whether they move right or left.
GAGa1 TIL the music from an anti-piracy ad was stolen and used for more ads. The composer successfully sued for piracy and won 165,000 euros.