› added 5 years ago

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TIL about Agnus MacAskill, who is the tallest ever "non-pathological giant" and could allegedly lift a 2800 lbs ship anchor to chest height!

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via reddit.com

mLpY TIL of Iqbal Masih (1983-1995), a Pakistani child who, at age four, was sold into bondage by his family, escaped after years of hardship and helped thousands of children flee bondage labor through his internatioal activism. He was assasinated at age 12.
bQ5Q TIL That an American WWII Pilot escaped from a German POW camp and after three days of evading capture, commandeered a German Folkwolf 109 and flew himself and one other American Pilot to safety in the Netherlands. He was later quoted as saying “When I saw windmills, I knew I had made it,”.
5MjP TIL that Wisconsin’s only pirate once got the crew of an entire ship drunk then proceeded to throw them all over board. He then took the ship to Chicago and sold all the cargo.
M7YG0 TIL that world renowned swimmer Michael Phelps considered becoming a professional golfer after retiring from swimming and also holds the world record for the longest televised putt at 159 feet
nWXXY TIL Polish Franciscan friar Maximilian Kolbe was imprisoned in Auschwitz during WWII. When 10 men were chosen for execution to deter escapes, one man lamented losing his family. Kolbe stepped in, sacrificing his life so the man could live, embodying hope amidst the Holocaust's horrors.