› added 4 years ago

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TIL that According to a 1956 circular, it is forbidden to give written homework to primary school pupils in France. Children are supposed to do their homework in class and not at home. However, it is still possible to ask them to learn a lesson, read or do research. (Not applied in practice)

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E1ZvW TIL that the Voyager 1 is still alive and well. In December of last year, it used its rockets to maneuver for the first time in 37 years
W71Xo TIL of Rupert Trimmingham, a Black US soldier serving in WW2 who in 1944 wrote a letter to an Army-run magazine about being refused service in a Louisiana restaurant while German PoWs were served inside, sparking support from other soldiers and contributing to the 1948 integration of the US military
woEO6 TIL Brazil, despite being a country with no colonial territories, actually had its own overseas territory shortly after becoming independent. A naval base located in what was the Portuguese Congo/Cabinda Province, with the aim of suppressing the Atlantic slave trade.
4XKwb TIL the "whistling" noise used to indicate bombs falling in movies and TV shows is almost always the wrong way round. Anyone underneath a bomb that made such a sound (only specific WW2-era bombs) would hear the pitch increasing as it got closer, not decreasing, due to the Doppler effect.
mxVXE TIL the Black Plague in the 13th century was thought to be contagious through air because of the bad stench it made, so incense and perfumes were used to "cure" it.