› added 2 years ago

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TIL about Joe Kieyoomia, a Navajo soldier who survived both the Bataan Death March and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He was tortured more than other prisoners because he was mistaken for being a Japanese American traitor. After the war he returned home to New Mexico and lived to 77.

GAQNJ TIL Didius Julianus became emperor by buying the title from the praetorian guard, who auctioned it off after killing the previous emperor. Didius was drunk and throwing a party when his wife and daughter convinced him to attend. He arrived late and had to shout his offers from outside the gates
5YnJR TIL while only being roughly the size of North Carolina, the island of Java sustains a population of 141 million. Comparatively the population of Japan is 145.9 million and three times the size in area.
oBYmr TIL that a heavily-promoted 1979 American sitcom about black congressman did not air due to opposition from the Black Congressional Caucus, who feared that airing "Mr. Dugan" would be "disastrous, showing a (black) congressman who was a silly, incompetent man ruled by his staff"
e0e7b TIL that reindeer are the only mammals that can see ultraviolet light. This means that they can easily tell the difference between white fur and snow because white fur has much higher contrast. It helps them discover predators early in snowy landscapes.
nWld7 TIL that in 2001, actor Mark Ruffalo had a realistic dream that he had a brain tumor. Despite no previous signs, he went to see a doctor due to the vividness of his dream. The doctor ordered a scan and it turned out that he did indeed have a tumor, which was subsequently removed.