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TIL James Longstreet was one of the best Confederate generals, with Robert E Lee calling him "my old warhorse". However after the war he supported civil rights and led a militia of black soldiers

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neDLo TIL that even though actor Fred Gwynne considered Herman Munster one of his favorite roles, the costume (including 40 lbs of foam padding and boots with inflexible soles) caused him severe back pain and made him lose 10 lbs in one month via perspiration.
kEQd TIL Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English channel in 1926, beating the previous time record by nearly two hours. The first person to greet Ederle as she came ashore on Kingsdown beach was a British immigration officer who requested to see her passport.
4X7R TIL A kid lied to his friends about being Jay Leno’s nephew. He wrote Leno who then dropped him off at school at the kid’s request. [Story at 10:31]
Egd9x TIL Dr Benjamin Rush gained acclaim in Philadelphia during the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793 by bravely visiting up to 100 patients a day, however due to his aggressive treatments including bloodletting it’s argued how much he helped, with some claiming his treatments killed more than they saved.
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