› added 9 years ago

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TIL The “Harlem Hellfighters” were the first African American regiment in WWI who were assigned to the French forces. None were captured, never lost a trench, or a foot of ground to the enemy. They returned to the U.S. as one of the most successful regiments of World War I

xVg1 TIL Queen were booed on their first concert to Australia and were told to “go back to Pommyland, ya pooftahs” Lead singer, Freddie Mercury replied on stage with “When we come back to Australia, Queen will be the biggest band in the world!
699xJ TIL Emperor Hirohito apologised for Japan's warcrimes in WW2, which Douglas MacArthur allegedly rejected by refusing to acknowledge Hirohito's presence. Patrick Lennox Tierney, the source for the story, would call it "the rudest, crudest, most uncalled for thing I have ever witnessed in my life"
9w1vm TIL that Saint Patrick is also the patron saint of Nigeria due to Irish priests being major missionaries there in the 1890s and 1920s.
aw94J TIL that Alan Moore, the author behind Batman: The Killing Joke, V for Vendetta, The League of Extraordinary Gentleman and Watchmen became a ceremonial magician on his 40th birthday, believing it to be "a logical end step to my career as a writer."
7oEZ TIL that future King Henry V was struck in the face by an arrow in his first battle leading soldiers. Rather than leave the field, he reportedly stated that “he would rather die than stain his soldierly reputation by flight.” He was sixteen at the time.