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TIL from 986 CE, Muslim Turks started raiding northwest India from Afghanistan, plundering western India. Forced conversions to Islam were made, and Buddhist images were smashed due to the Islamic dislike of idolatry. Hence, the Islamic term for an 'idol' became 'budd'.

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6b5w TIL that when sailors in the Navy pass over the equator for the first time, there is a “Crossing the Line” ceremony and the sailors receive the title “Shellbacks” and “Sons of Neptune.” They get a certificate and its “signed” by Davy Jones and Neptune.
D1Goj TIL statues of supernatural beings called Yakshas who are traditionally considered the servants of Kubera (the God of wealth) are found at the entrance of the Reserve Bank of India
9wkR7 TIL that the Sea Peoples were a group of sea-based raiders centered around the Mediterranean who contributed to the Bronze Age Collapse by attacking many of the major empires of the time including the Egyptians and Hittites. Today few records remain about them despite their massive impact.
a88aN TIL that in 1879, between a third and two-thirds of all pregnancies in the US were intentionally terminated.
mxx6y TIL a team of physicists tackled the problem of why cords always get tangled when you leave them alone a few seconds