› added 5 years ago

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TIL about Isaac Woodard, an African-American World War II veteran who was beaten and blinded by police officers in South Carolina hours after being honorably discharged from the United States Army, the sheriff in charge of the attack was acquitted by an all-white jury

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Xydr TIL that the Egyptians were the only ancient culture to recognize blue as being distinct from green. Today, certain tribes, such as the Himba people in Namibia, cannot make the distinction.
BgBPb TIL the Reverend Wilbert Awdry invented some stories about trains as a way of entertaining his son who had measles, one of the trains was called Thomas the Tank Engine
KOvvJ TIL that Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago with a population of 3 000, is the only visa-free zone in the world meaning that anybody may live and work there indefinitely regardless of country of citizenship.
OGkQ7 TIL that Pyrocumulonimbus clouds form during intense wildfires when the heat from the fire sends a lot of smoke and hot air high into the atmosphere. This can create a type of cloud that is capable of producing lightning, which can sometimes start new fires.
Xywj TIL In 1969, France placed an arms embargo on Israel after the Israeli government had already paid for a delivery of war ships. The French didn’t deliver on all of the ships. Israel responded by sending a team of commandos to France who managed steal and pilot the remaining ships back to Israel.