› added 11 years ago

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TIL that Europeans traditionally swam the breaststroke, while Native Americans swam the front crawl. When two Native Americans won an 1844 swimming competition in England, newspapers criticized their barbaric, “un-European” form. Europeans refused to use the faster front crawl for decades.

awOYb TIL: Beethoven was such a massive star that following composers struggled to pull away from his artistic gravity. Brahms for example refused to make a symphony for 21 years, feeling unworthy. Schubert said: Who can ever do anything, after Beethoven?
DQJLp TIL that Silentó, who's 2015 debut single "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 when he was 17 years old, was arrested and charged with the murder of his cousin in 2021. He plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2025, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
4LMw TIL The Berry case was not Sylvia Browne’s most horrific prediction. “Browne did a reading for [Erica’s] mother, saying she was in water and someone named “Chris” killed her. The following day, Erica’s ex-boyfriend, Chris Mineer, killed himself.”
negOY TIL that cats can't taste sweet things because of a genetic defect.
OGgGa TIL honeybees engage in a “dance-debate frenzy” when looking for a new home. Scouts perform a dance in which movements/positions encode directions & vigor indicates quality of a site. Those with opposing views headbutt the dancer: “head-butting seems to be the honeybee signal for ‘shut up!’"