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TIL that Miyamoto Musashi, 17th century Japanese swordsman, would almost always arrive late to duels, irritating his opponent in the process. Miyamoto won two duels this way. Upon his next duel, he arrived early, and ambushed the force that was assembling to ambush him.

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16nvP TIL the colourful arrowed sash (ceinture fléchée), a traditional piece of Québecois and Métis clothing, emerged from a boycott of British button-up coats: Québecois rebels used these sashes instead of British-produced buttons to hold their coats closed.
WkM7o TIL of Yasuke, an east african man who came into the service of Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga as a retainer in 1581 after being brought to Japan with Jesuit missionaries. When they first met Nobunaga had Yasuke's skin washed, believing it was ink only to realise that was Yasuke's natural skin colour
0wZGM TIL in 1990 the grand marshal of the LA Gay Pride Parade was an 82 year old retired straight female professor. Her research in the 50s led to homosexuality no longer being considered a mental illness in the United States.
ADrOa TIL Herma are ancient greek statues featuring only a head, typically Hermes, and a phallus. In 415 BC all of the Athenian Herma were vandalized by having the penises removed.
rRoBw TIL of Sonya Golden Hand, a Russian female con artist who committed several carefully planned robberies and stole tens of thousands of rubles. She was eventually captured and exiled to a penal colony. She was moved into solitary confinement after trying to escape the colony dressed as a guard.