› added 3 months ago

14

TIL Frederick Douglas did not know his actual birthday, so he chose Feb 14, because his mother referred to him as her little Valentine.

Read more sttammanylibrary.org

via reddit.com

xrJg TIL that the yiddish term farpotshket is used to describe something that is completely ruined as a result of someone trying to improve or fix it.
08Yj TIL a Greek wrestler once lifted a calf everyday for 4 years before carrying the full-grown bull the length of a stadium, before killing and eating it in a single day.
RBxw TIL Differences in finger length have been repeatedly linked to a range of human traits, from aggression to musical ability to sexual orientation. [National Geographic]
e0Q4E TIL of Sin Eaters. In parts of England, Scotland, and Wales up until the 19th century, when a person died the family would pay a man to eat a piece of bread off the deceased in order to absorb their sins, risking their souls for a few pence
AD4x7 TIL there was a trend of headless photography in 19th century Britain ("Victorian Headless Portraits"). The models usually had their heads in a platter, or were holding them in their hands. This was made by taking multiple photos and combining the negatives - kinda like the early days' Photoshop.