› added 10 months ago

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TIL the "Aztecs" never referred to themselves as that. They called themselves the Mexica (Me-SHEE-ka). The modern use of "Aztec" was coined by a Prussian Scholar in 1810, and derives from a term meaning "people from Aztlan", a mythical place of origin for several ethnic groups in central Mexico.

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VPD TIL that due to exponential growth, if someone somehow folded a paper 50 times, it would reach the Sun.
e0PME TIL of the Kiplingcotes Derby, the world's oldest horse race (1519). The rules state it must be run every year or never be run again. The weather has threatened the race several times, causing a single rider to lead a horse around the track to prevent the race from being canceled permanently.
ZYno TIL an orphan from Uganda, who spent his youth as a human scarecrow on his abusive uncle’s farm, ran away at 14. With the help of a charity called YES Uganda, he has since earned 2 degrees, started a biotech company, founded a non-profit, and given a talk at TED.
e04JL TIL that, in order to become an astronaut, you need to know stuff like survival skills, robotics, how to fly an airplane, and both english and Russian. You also need a bachelor's degree in a nature science.
7PvL TIL That Portobello Mushrooms are the same as white mushrooms, they’re just left to grow for longer