› added 8 years ago

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TIL that during the first artificial insemination, a woman was chloroformed in front of six medical students and the “most attractive” student gave his semen. The woman was not told that her husband wasn’t the father until the child was 25, and the medical student published an article.

6rNw TIL the US government poisoned alcohol as a deterrent during prohibition. This backfired when people didn’t stop and thousands of people died before prohibition ended.
R7NA1 TIL that a Greek man named Heron Alexandrinus, who was born in 10AD, invented the first steam engine, called an Aeolipile. His design was forgotten and never used until 1577.
rRMdy TIL: Květoslava Bartoň, born Axman. As 18 year old student she helped 45 war orphans from Slovak Valley of Death (place of most bloody battle of WWII on Eastern front). She never talked about it and asked for her story to be published after her death, because she didn't want fame or recognition.
JYj0l TIL that Christmas used to be illegal in Massachusetts. After 1681, Christmas was no longer a crime, but was completely taboo. Anyone caught making merry or singing carols was prosecuted for disturbing the peace. It remained taboo until 1870, when the federal government made it a national holiday.
W1G9 TIL that a New Mexico man tried to kill a mouse that he had caught in a glue trap by burning it alive on a pile of burning leaves. Instead, the fire melted the glue, freeing the flaming mouse which then ran back inside the man’s home and started a fire which burned the house down