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TIL there’s a colony in Brazil populated by descendants of between 2,000 and 4,000 Confederate refugees who chose to leave the United States after they lost the American Civil War.

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w118 TIL Columbus thought manatees were mermaids on Jan 09, 1493 describing them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted.”
OoW7Y TIL the Batavia was a ship of the Dutch East India that was wrecked off the coast of Western Australia in 1629. Of the 301 passengers who survived the wreck approximately 125 were murdered following a mutiny, including women, children and infants.
DbnD TIL Tucked in the middle of Los Angeles, is a small bird sanctuary called Serenity Park. It’s a place where abused birds and combat vets bond and heal. The theory is that, through their shared trauma, they connect on an emotional, almost spiritual, level. They’ve had much success in treating PTSD.
Y7EEd TIL 5 Kyoto temples have bloodstained ceilings taken from Fushimi Castle floorboards, site of a siege & mass suicide that delayed Ishida Mitsunari’s forces. This allowed Tokugawa leyasu to prepare for the battle of Sekigahara, unifying Japan. The ceilings honor the fallen samurai of Fushumi Castle.
baV4 TIL that before he joined Queen, John Deacon (the bassist) was a trained electronics engineer. He used these skills to build an amplifier from electronic equipment he found in a dumpster. It became known as the “Deacy Amp” and, along with Brian May’s guitar, was a key component of Queen’s sound.