› added 6 years ago

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TIL that the type of Nike sneakers worn by members of the Heaven's Gate cult in their 1997 mass suicide are highly sought after by sneaker collectors

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via reddit.com

gMrV9 TIL parents in China can sue their children if they do not visit often enough
b9VoE TIL Japan in WWII launched over 9,000 balloon bombs that were carried across the Pacific Ocean by the jet stream. The bombs killed 6 people, started forest fires, and one traveled as far East as Farmington, Michigan. The balloons were made of paper.
9wdrm TIL The state sport of Maryland is jousting!
9YvNM TIL in the 1600s to avoid slavery a group of Africans on St. Vincent Island acquired the customs and language of the Native American group Kalipona so that Europeans would consider them to be native and leave them alone.
DmBp TIL that the 19th century Catholic Church declared “Americanism” a heresy, which included the beliefs in separation of church and state, secularism, etc. This played into American fears at the time that Catholics were too loyal to the Pope and were thus undemocratic, illiberal, and unassimilatable.