› added 4 years ago

210

TIL the first statue of a black person in Bristol, UK was erected in 1987 and is of the playwright and poet Alfred Fagon

Read more bbc.co.uk

via reddit.com

gAj7 TIL that the U.S. government produced 500,000 Purple Heart medals to prepare for the 1945 invasion of Japan. When the operation never took place, the medals were placed in storage and distributed. All military action since then (including Korea and Vietnam) still has not depleted the supply.
Z8vvv TIL: The common phrase for the worst betrayal, "Sold Down The River," originates from the experience of slaves who were torn from family and friends, literally sold and sent south on the Mississippi to a fate worse than imaginable picking cotton.
Goe1 TIL Potential Mars colonists and astronauts will have to adhere to a vegan diet.
aw48M TIL that singer Helen Kane sued Fleischer Studios for basing Betty Boop's singing style on her and demanded royalties. She lost because Fleischer lawyers proved that Kane stole the style from African American singer Esther Jones.
P1Jje TIL of English lawyer Frederic Weatherly (1848–1929), who inadvertently created the coxless fours in rowing by jumping out of the boat at the start of the race to save weight. Oh, yeah, and he also wrote about 3,000 song lyrics, including "Danny Boy".