› added 6 years ago

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TIL that Polaris, the 'North Star' was not used by ancients for navigation. It only became the closest naked-eye star to the celestial pole in Medieval times. Before that, the Ursa Minor constellation was used for navigation.

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RaBQ TIL the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars includes at least 253,330 brain injuries, 1,700 amputations, and 6,656 deaths on the U.S. side alone.
xVjpk TIL of the "swampers" of the Okefenokee Swamp, people of English ancestry who due to their isolation living deep in the swamp still used elizabethan phrases and syntax from colonial times well into the 20th century.
OE04 TIL Originally it was suggested the scroll on the Victoria Cross, Britain’s most prestigious military award, should bear the legend ‘FOR THE BRAVE’ but Queen Victoria herself changed this to ‘FOR VALOUR’ as the former implied that not all Soldiers were brave.
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rR5K4 TIL that Astronaut John Young smuggled a corned beef sandwich onto a space flight. The sandwich was dubbed the '30 million dollar sandwich"