› added 11 years ago

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TIL holding a sword by the blade and using the hilt as a bludgeon was a technique called the “murder strike” in German fencing.

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jNWEM TIL It became the custom for rich people and fighting men like the Norman soldiers, whose ways of life put their souls in such great jeopardy, to pay monks to do the praying they were too busy to do for themselves.
WkVDB TIL A pigeon received the Croix de Guerre medal for distinguished bravery in WW1. After being shot down and suffering multiple wounds she carried on, and saved the lives of 194 men.
negdP TIL that in 1162 in revenge for insulting his wife, The Holy Roman Emperor forced every resident of Milan who wished to live to pluck a fig placed into the genitals of a female mule.
OrDX TIL the child actor Jackie Coogan, who played alongside Charlie Chaplin in ‘The Kid’ was also one of the highest paid actors. When he turned 21, he found out his mom and step dad had spent most of the money he made. His complaint led to the Coogan law being passed to protect child actors.
ANoNn TIL "grain engulfment" is a real hazard for farmers working with grain silos, with around 20 deaths a year attributed, many of which involve children helping their family work the farm.