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Today I Learned that footmen in a great house would always be called "James" or "John" regardless of what their actual name was. This was because the footmen may have a too working-class sounding name.

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OGG71 TIL that just less than a century ago, astronomers weren't sure that the universe expanded beyond the Milky Way. Edwin Hubble (for whom the Hubble telescope was named) definitively proved the universe was far more vast.
1x1D TIL that an 18 year old was sentenced to 17 years in prison for statutory rape, his consensual underage partner was male. If it had been a girl, the maximum sentence would have been 15 months. He served in prison for 5 years until the Kansas Supreme Court ordered his release.
5Y81Q TIL the Chinese phrase 日本鬼子 - Rìběn guǐzi, meaning "Japanese Devils" can be pronounced in Japanese as Hinomoto Oniko, which resembles a girl's name. Consequently, users of the Japanese imageboard 2channel created an anime character for the phrase.
8eBp4 TIL that German Chocolate cake is named for an American Baker, Samuel German
YpvlA TIL: U.S. Medal of Honor recipients (in all branches of service) their children are automatically approved for enrollment into U.S. military academy so long as they meet basic requirements. Note: Acceptance rating for most applicants in general is less than 10%.