› added 11 years ago

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TIL that on this day, June 25th, 137 years ago, two Cheyenne women shoved their sewing awls into the dead George Armstrong Custer’s ears, so he would ‘hear better in the afterlife’ because he had broken his promise to Chief Stone Forehead never to fight against Native Americans again.

Y705v TIL that Shaq turned down the role of John Coffey in The Green Mile. And it worked perfectly for everyone, including us
ne447 TIL birds cannot detect capsaicin (the active ingredient in chilli that makes it spicy) so it is used as a squirrel deterrent for birdfeeders.
R7oD7 TIL Gaze following is instinctual for many animals—including humans, chimps, dogs, goats, dolphins, and even the red-footed tortoise. Dogs glance back and forth between human and where the human is looking. The behavior, only seen before in humans and chimps, is called check backs or double looking.
b9xeQ TIL The indigenous Chukchi refused to pledge loyalty to Russian rulers and pay yasak, a special fur toll that would provide them with iron instruments, guns. In 1779 Catherine II officially proclaimed all the Chukchi Russia’s citizens – though many of them probably knew nothing about this
Py5g TIL: In the 8th century, Danish king Harald Wartooth, realizing he might die of old age and therefore not go to Valhalla, asked the Swedish king Sigurd for a battle. Wartooth was slain after amassing enough glory, and Sigurd was crowned king of Sweden & Denmark. 40,000 other warriors died.