› added 9 months ago

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TIL that lead, a notorious neurotoxin, was used as a sweetener in Ancient Rome, having been confirmed to cause the death of Pope Clement II

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aB9J TIL that viking slaves were treated well, had decent rights and could earn/buy their freedom through hard work or helping their masters defend against invaders
9wdXX TIL one of the largest lynchings in US history occurred in Los Angeles; only six of several hundred were convicted, all were acquitted or released.
Z8a8v TIL In 2006, China slaughtered 50,000 dogs after three people died of rabies. Dogs being walked were seized from their owners and beaten to death on the spot. Owners were offered 63 cents per animal to kill their own dogs before the beating teams were sent in.
rKM1 TIL that Shiro Ishii, a depraved Japanese doctor that conducted countless unethical experiments on Chinese prisoners, was pardoned by the US government in exchange for his research
Z8LW4 TIL that the concept for Spider-Man's black costume came from a fan named Randy Schueller, who was paid $220 in 1982 for the idea by then-Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Schueller conceived a black stealth version with a dark red spider chest emblem made by Reed Richards with unstable molecules.