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TIL That there was a plot to kill or kidnap George Washington early in the Revolutionary War - the traitors were from Washington's Life Guards, similar to today's Secret Service. One of the traitors was the first person to be put to death for treason, Thomas Hickey, in front of 20,000 people.

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b6PBa TIL Pragmatism, a school of philosophy, emerged in the US as a revolt against the overly intellectual, highly speculative, and closed systems of Idealism of the 19th century. It emphasizes that the merit of ideas, policies, and proposals lies in their usefulness, practicality, and workability.
8ZYb TIL NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley once tried to spit at a fan shouting racial slurs during a game, but his spit accidentally hit the little girl next to him instead. Barkley became friends with the girl and her family and gave them tickets to later games.
PDNL TIL “Free the Nipple” movement was founded by a man who believes we descended from aliens and started his own cult.
8aXZG TIL about “Pikuach nefesh” the principle in Jewish law that the preservation of human life overrides virtually any other religious rule. When the life of a specific person is in danger, almost any mitzvah lo ta'aseh (command to not do an action) of the Torah becomes inapplicable.
yQlml TIL Thomas Jefferson had a copy of a 1734 edition Qu'ran in his private library. Historians believe he bought the book while studying law to better understand Islam’s influence on some of the world’s legal systems.