› added 7 years ago

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TIL in Albania some young girls are raised as ‘Sworn Virgins’ which meant they gained all the rights and privileges of men - things like freedom to vote, drive, conduct business, earn money, drink, smoke, swear, own a gun, or wear pants, in return for a life of celibacy and 'pretending’ to be male.

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D1Jdp TIL James Cook dubbed the islands of Hawaii 'the Sandwich Islands' to honour his sponsor, the Earl of Sandwich, and this name was commonly used by foreign governments for well over fifty years.
Qovd TIL homosexuality was still classified as an illness in Sweden in 1979. Swedes protested by calling in sick to work, claiming they felt gay
7QA7 TIL most bamboo species only flower once every several decades, the entire population flowering at once; and, when one variety flowers, the entire variety flowers at the same time the world over, regardless of location, climate, or any other known factors, for reasons scientists have yet to discern.
1vbO TIL that only around 5% of Buddha’s teachings have been translated to modern languages; a global non-profit group named 84,000 aims to translate all of Buddha’s teachings to modern languages in order to combat the possible loss of this cultural heritage
XEadR TIL squirrels can survive a fall from any height