› added 5 years ago

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TIL that Joshua Norton, most famous for proclaiming himself "Emperor of the United States", once successfully stopped a race riot by standing between the rioters and Chinese labourers and repeatedly reciting the Lord's Prayer until they dispersed

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oVAK TIL that in addition to having mild winters, Greece has a period of about two weeks around the end of January in which the climate is like summer’s. It’s been going on every year and for at least 3000 years!
kOZ4W TIL about Iva Toguri D'Aquino an alleged WW2 Propagandist who defied Japan and then was wrongfully jailed by the USA after media targeting and popular dissent
4kLA5 TIL of Louis, Duc D’Orléans, the brother of King Charles the VII who accidently set fire to 6 dancers at his brother's party with a torch. 4 of the 6 dancers died. One jumped into a wine barrel and the King who was one of the dancers was saved by his niece when she covered him with her dress.
R50nl TIL A dog cannot outrun a bear. Dogs can run at a speed of 31 miles per hour, whereas bears can run at a speed of 35 miles per hour.
9YNGD TIL that the word “girl” was originally a gender neutral term for a child, and that boys were called “knave girls” and girls were called “gay girls”.