› added 4 years ago

62

TIL there were minstrel shows in the 1800's where the performers were actually African-Americans. They would act like white people's stereotypes of blacks at the time to please white audiences.

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N7nOP TIL the word Turquoise actually comes from the French "turquois" meaning "Turkish", as the stones were traditionally imported from Turkey.
JY4jk TIL of a shipwreck in the River Thames of London that is full of explosives that if detonated could cause a tsunami
Qkl9 TIL in Death Valley the ground is so hot, residents disconnect their water heaters in the summer and use the hot water tap for “cold” water.
AjQ4 TIL Raptors have been shown to start wildfires to drive their prey out into the open.
rRr1M TIL that Sheila Chandra who sings Braith of Life (a.k.a The Grace of Valar) from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers suffered from the burning mouth syndrome (BMS) starting 2010 and has been since been rendered effectively mute.