› added 2 months ago

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TIL about the Native American "Code Talkers," and their instrumental role they played during WWII. They would relay important and secret messages over radio in their native languages, which could not be deciphered by Nazi or Japanese interceptors.

Read more nationalww2museum.org

via reddit.com

gkK8 TIL that the kings in regular playing cards refer to specific historical kings.
E1AXd TIL Lydia O'Leary, a woman who was insecure due to a large birthmark on her face, created a product to hide it that was inspired by her experiments with oil paint. She was granted a patent for her concealer in 1932. It's the only foundation with a USPTO patent.
v15A7 TIL the water chestnut is not a nut at all, but an aquatic vegetable
rv9M TIL Ostriches have terrible ground fighting skills. If you can manage to get behind one, cinch your arm around its neck tightly and use your momentum to fall to one side. While on the ground and keeping hold of the neck, make sure to chop the throat repeatedly until the bird loses consciousness.
5r6P TIL Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa is home to 2,200 species of plant - more than the entire United Kingdom