› added 5 years ago

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TIL about the Anti-Superstition Society of Chicago who, in 1962, awarded John Glenn (occupant of the 13th capsule in space) with a gold watch with each number replaced with the number 13. There were 13 senators attending, each paid $13.13 to be there, and it was held on Friday the 13th.

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j6GnM TIL: Individuals born blind have a significantly lower risk of developing schizophrenia compared to those who lose their sight later in life.
rNMNW TIL the old Danish criteria for common law marriage was that" If anyone has a mistress in his home for three winters and obviously sleeps with her, and she commands lock and key and obviously eats and drinks with him, then she shall be his wife and rightful lady of the house."
VBBR0 TIL There was a mass phenomenon from the 14th to 17th century in Europe called "Dancing Mania" where people started dancing for days or weeks until they collapsed or even died
R0jl TIL of Rick Rescorla, Morgan Stanley’s head of security at the World Trade Center, who predicted the 1993 bombings and the 2001 attack. He ignored the Port Authority’s instructions to not evacuate, and saved all but seven of his 2,687 employees. He died in the towers.
dDJgZ TIL that when a formerly Christian person converts to some varieties of Slavic neopaganism, they undergo a formal ceremony called raskrestitsia (de-Christianization) which involves kneeling on twigs, as priests carrying fire walk around them in a circle. At the end, they receive a scoopful of mead.