› added 11 months ago

57

TIL that Hiawatha was a real person, but Longfellow’s poem The Song of Hiawatha wasn’t really about him at all

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d8vLQ TIL Lèse-majesté is a French term meaning "to do wrong to majesty", is an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state. In Iceland for example, it can be punished by up to two years of imprisonment. For a very serious breach, the term can be extended to 6 years.
v1Yvj TIL because of JFK's assassination, US Presidents are no longer allowed to drive on public roads after they've taken office. Even after out of office.
XEV16 TIL dice have been used for a really really long time. Many have been found from the Indus Civilization (2500-1700 bce).
nYmG TIL of the Mandela Effect, where well known words, brands, or historical facts are misremembered in the same way by many people: Kit-Kat is actually spelled KitKat, Fruit Loops is actually Froot Loops, and JCPenny is actually JCPenney.
v1k94 TIL in November 1926, President Calvin Coolidge pardoned a raccoon intended for his Thanksgiving dinner and adopted it as a presidential pet.