› added 11 years ago

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TIL Al Jolson famous for performing in blackface was the only white man who was allowed into the all-black nightclubs in Harlem. The reason being that he helped many black people succeed in the music business and fought against racial discrimination.

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wLJ1o TIL Joseph Lister, the father of antiseptic medicine, had the idea that surgeons could prevent infecting their patients by washing and disinfecting their hands with carbolic acid before surgery. This idea earned him ridicule—until people started noticing that it did indeed help.
Vv8Q TIL that there are dogs that work in courtrooms to comfort victims of abuse whilst testifying. They are called ‘comfort dogs’.
64Ol TIL PETAs founder, Ingrid Newkirk, believes euthanasia is a gift, a belief which has led to the deaths of thousands of animals
XEvnE TIL that yoghurt only became popular in the UK in the 1960s.
pPWG TIL that breast cancer is one of the most survivable cancers over a five year period