› added 6 years ago

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TIL there is a functional link between syphilis and the popularity of codpieces in the 1500s. Syphilis showed up in Europe in 1494 shortly after Columbus returned and codpieces appeared around 1500. The codpiece protected the penis, held medicinal ointments and protected stylish clothing.

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ORMY TIL: Drowning IRL looks nothing like in the movies, and in fact many parents actually watch their children drown, having no idea that it’s happening.
LQOGm TIL that the original version of ‘Oh My Darling Clementine’ written in 1884 had some seriously dark lyrics. The third to last verse reads, “In a churchyard near the canon where the myrtle doth entwine Grow the roses in their posies fertilized by Clementine.” Fourth to last is also quite dark.
XEPr8 TIL that the megalodon shark was NOT outcompeted by predatory cetaceans
6doY TIL two brothers inherited one of the Hawaiian islands, Niihau, and have turned down all offers to sell including $1 billion from the U.S. government
neGRP TIL despite numerous warning signs about the low clearance of the Norfolk Southern–Gregson Street Overpass, a number of trucks, buses, & RVs have collided with the overpass at high speed, tearing off roof fixtures and shearing off the trucks' roofs, earning the bridge the nickname the Can-Opener