› added 11 years ago

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TIL that the most highly decorated naval officer of the Allied during WW2 was the Norwegian Leif Larsen, a veteran of the Winter War who ferried refuges and soldiers through occupied Norway over 50 times with a fishing boat.

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x6Vdo TIL women are still not allowed to serve in the Gurkhas, despite the government promising to allow them to in 2018 and women being able to serve combat roles in all other British Army regiments
PYxvZ TIL in Waco Texas, 1916, 10,000 people watched the lynching of Jesse Washington (castrated, burned, and mutilated for 2+ hours) A photographer sold postcards of the event. Prominent citizens eventually persuaded photographer to stop selling them fearing the images would come to characterize the town
X0naQ TIL when East Germany reunified with West Germany in 1990, the German government withdrew East Germany banknotes from circulation, but instead of burning them, they let them rot in a concrete bunker until two people broke in and stole a large quantity of notes in 2001. Then what was left was burned.
NBnE TIL that Pharrell Williams and his partner Chad Hugo were responsible for producing 43% of the songs played on US radio in 2003. 10 years later Pharrell’s having a similar run.
Bgmak TIL if you're legally in possession of human remains in the US, you can dispose of them at sea for free as long as you're at least 3 nautical miles from shore, properly prepare the body or ashes, and notify the EPA within 30 days