› added 6 years ago

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TIL that Keelhauling was considered one of the worst forms of punishment in naval history. The victims were dragged along the keel of the ship and died frequently because the barnacles on the hull of the ship cut open their body which was incredibly painful.

Bgp1e TIL in 2010 a temple was consecrated to Angrezi Devi, the "Dalits Goddess of English," in the village of Banka, India. Goddess English was meant to help Dalits overcome class barriers via language. However, local officials shut down the temple in 2013, and Goddess English was forced into "exile."
6VoJ TIL that Carlos Hathcock, USMC in Vietnam, crawled inch by inch, 1500 yards for 72hours straight to assassinate an NVA General, narrowly escaping being bitten by a viper, and almost being stepped on by a NVA soldier. He successfully completed the mission, and escaped the same way he had entered.
ADdyd TIL there is a group of genes (HOX) that code for the proper formation of limbs in most animals. When flies have defective HOX genes, instead of antenas, they grow more legs
rxOw TIL of Carl Fisher who built a fortune in automobile headlights, then went on to found the first auto dealership, the first transcontinental road, the Indianapolis speedway, and the town of Miami Beach. He lost most of his fortune in the Great Depression and was largely forgotten by history.
0wXvR TIL of Desmond Doss, who despite being a pacifist, served as a combat medic in WWII and saved 75 people during the Battle of Okinawa without even carrying a gun. He was the only conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his service in the war.