› added 2 months ago

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TIL about Lynne Cox. The first person to swim between the United States and the Soviet Union (Bering Strait)

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via reddit.com

JYrmQ TIL: Mexico had a complex legal and racial caste system. Art referred to as "casta" paintings were seen as a way to "codify racial groups"
WkQPX TIL Konstanz is one of the few towns in Germany left untouched by the Second World War. Instead of blackout, the city would leave all its lights on at night in order to fool Allied bomber crews into thinking that it was part of nearby Switzerland.
gMEBX TIL that Lady Gaga has been named godmother to Elton John and husband David Furnish’s baby son Elijah. The pop singer is already the godmother to John and Furnish’s two-year-old, Zachary, and the couple were so impressed with her guidance that they doubled down on Gaga’s godmother duties.
wLNaM TIL about Owney the Postal Dog! He was a terrier mix that captured the hearts of railway postal workers and rode the trains with them. They even awarded him medals for his service - so many that they filled his collar and a little harness, special-made. Owney was a very good boy, indeed!
9eXr TIL that President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored man, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”