› added 5 years ago

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TIL about Cargo Cults, Melanesian groups that attempted to recreate the magic that was "cargo drops". When the U.S military occupied Pacific islands during WW2, the islanders witnessed the soldiers receive goods from the sky, and thought it was the result of magic rituals performed by the soldiers.

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VM09G TIL when Fat'h Ali became Shah of Persia in 1797, he was given a set of the Encyclopædia Britannica's 3rd edition, which he read completely; after this feat, he extended his royal title to include "Most Formidable Lord and Master of the Encyclopædia Britannica".
lOB1 TIL during WW2 a mix of high explosive and flour was given to guerrillas fighting the Japanese. Codenamed ‘Aunt Jemima’, it could be safely cooked into pancakes and eaten. Uneaten pancakes or unused dough could still be used later as explosives. 15 tons were used; the ruse was never discovered.
4kKKX TIL that there is a period in the history of Medieval Rome that is known as the Pornocracy or the Rule of the Harlots
wLDA6 TIL The Great Hurricane of 1780 is the deadliest atlantic hurricane on record, while likely ravaging islands in the Lesser Antilles as a category 5 storm, it killed at least 22,000 people.
evbk TIL there is a tribe in Zimbabwe whom have two toes on each foot. possibly an aid in tree climbing the condition prevails because of a small genetic pool among the Vadoma and is propagated by the tribal law that forbids members to marry outside the group.