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TIL The founders of the Aztec Empire were one of the first people in the world to have mandatory education for nearly all children. There were two types of schools: the telpochcalli, for practical and military studies, and the calmecac, for studies in writing, astronomy, statesmanship, theology etc

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GA9XN TIL Shi Yang, a Chinese prostitute married a pirate leader, after his death, married her husbands adopted son, lead a pirate army of 40k-80k men, had a pirate code protecting women captives from abuse from her fleets crew, ultimately surrendered and was allowed to live in peace.
kdNd TIL that PETA prefers kill shelters (“open admission”) over no-kill shelters.
oPdL TIL that 17th century astronomer Johannes Kepler, who was unable to publish his dissertation as it contradicted the geocentric model held by the Catholic church, decided to rewrite it as a work of fiction about a man traveling to the moon. It is now considered the first modern science fiction novel.
5V19r TIL The first time Bobby Kennedy spoke publicly about his brother, President John F. Kennedy's, assassination was while telling a majority-black crowd in Indianapolis that Martin Luther King Jr. had been killed, which is credited with keeping the city calm, while other cities erupted in violence.
W7g99 TIL: The Pinky Swear or the Pinky Promise has origins in Japan from 1600 where it is called yubikiri "finger cut-off" and often additionally confirmed with the vow "Pinky swear, whoever lies will be made to swallow a thousand needles"