› added 4 years ago

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TIL that Charles Curtis, Vice President to Herbert Hoover, was of Native American ancestry and grew up partly among the Kaw tribe

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kJoOE TIL of the World War I naval battle on Africa's Lake Tanganyika between German warships and two 40 foot British motor boats. The motor boats were secretly dragged for 146 miles through the jungle by ox teams and tractors. The smaller and faster British boats easily sunk the warships.
pYZEA TIL about the Dickin medal which was created in 1943 in the UK to award the work of animals in World War II. It has been awarded 75 times, most recently in 2023 to Bass, a Belgian Malinois of the US Marine Special Operation Command.
5V5ZD TIL of small medieval knife called ‘Bollock dagger’ and used to stab people in the kidneys
epkn4 TIL in 1858, as Congress was debating slavery in Kansas at 2:00AM, a large fight of 30+ Members erupted on the House floor. After the sitting house speaker banged his gavel and threatened to arrest noncompliant Members, the "melee dissolved into a chorus of laughs and jeers."
yVoMp TIL that in 1946, Hungary issued the largest-denomination banknote ever, the 100 quintillion (10^20) pengő note. This was a result of the worst case of hyperinflation in history. One sextillion (10^21) pengő banknotes were printed as well but ultimately never issued.