› added 1 year ago

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TIL of the 'reuzegommers', a group of 'elite' students (children of judges and politicians) who killed a new Initiate. They were sentenced to community service and it was forbidden to publish their names. YouTuber Acid was later convicted of cyberstalking for identifying them.

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E1850 TIL Of Alfred Kroeber who studied a man he named Ishi, the last member of the Yahi tribe who walked into the modern world in 1911. In Ishi's culture, knowing ones name gives you power over them, so Ishi just means Man. This idea of magic in naming things influenced Kroeber's daughter Ursula Le Guin.
4vrg TIL pharmaceutical companies can only advertise directly to the consumer in two countries, the US and New Zealand
E1Nyo TIL that Elizabeth Taylor once reached out to Marlyin Monroe privately and told her “No matter what they write about me, Marilyn, I never deny it. I never confirm it. I just keep smiling and walking forward. You do the same." after the press constantly tried to pit the two against each other.
pRm4 TIL that in England, there is a phenomenon called the “halftime kettle effect” where power use surges at halftime during England’s matches in the World Cup as everyone turns on their tea kettles at the same time.
mxAJo TIL, during Korean War, U.S Navy pilot Royce Williams shot down 4 swept-wing Soviet MiG-15s in a single mission on November 18, 1952, while flying a straight-wing F9F Panther. It is considered a unique feat since the MiGs have better high-altitude performance than the F9F, and was faster by 100 MPH.