› added 9 years ago

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TIL of Emma Gatewood, who in 1955 at the age of 67, told her children (now adults) that she was going for a walk, and became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. She wore Keds sneakers and only carried an army blanket, a raincoat and a plastic shower curtain in a homemade denim bag.

9aM6 TIL that Lord of the Rings actor Ian McKellen turned down an offer of 1.5 million dollar to officiate a wedding dressed as Gandalf, saying “I am sorry, Gandalf doesn’t do weddings.”
1aa7O TIL that the Catholic Church specifically taught that indulgences do not affect whether or not a person goes to heaven. However, greedy "pardoners" lied about this and promised things like eternal salvation in return for money to increase donations. This led to Martin Luther's 95 Theses.
8ama8 TIL Thomas Jefferson and George Washington happened to both be King George III's 11th cousin, once removed. They were leading a revolution against their own blood relatives.
GYgQN TIL when firing the Germans biggest cannon in WW1, they had to move 300 yards away and fire it electrically. They were still so close they required cotton wadding in their eyes, nose and ears, and fired it with their mouth open to prevent the gun from blowing out their ear drums.
6ExpY TIL children have more energy than endurance athletes. They have fatigue-resistant muscles and they recover faster than adults. Much of this stems from their ability to uptake and distribute oxygen, as well as synergize energy faster.