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TIL Between the 13th and 18th Centuries it was common to have criminal trials with animal defendants. Animals on trial were most often pigs, bulls, horses, and cows or pests such as rats and weevils. They were routinely provided with lawyers and if convicted animals were executed or exiled.

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xVrmk TIL Sarcasm can be linked to higher intelligence and creative thinking. Sarcasm in relationships and friendships creates a strong and lasting bond. People who learn sarcasm are more likely to succeed in life.
yQwYX TIL In 1809, Ephraim McDowell performed the worlds first ovariotomy opening the door to abdominal surgery. Legend has it that a surly crowd gathered outside McDowell's home during the operation and waited to hang him on his patients certain death.
PZXw TIL if the history of the universe was condensed into a year, the Milky Way would form on May 15, life on earth would appear on September 21, and the dinosaurs would go extinct on December 30. Modern humans would evolve on December 31 at 11:52 PM and Columbus would discover America at 11:59:58 PM.
wooaP TIL all of Oklahoma's "Unassigned Lands" were settled in one day. At high noon on April 22, 1889, approx. 50k settlers lined up, and a starting gunshot was fired. They raced chaotically to claim the lands (taken back from Indigenous tribes), and by the end of the day, nearly 2M acres were claimed
LQ60 TIL that ostriches sometimes kill lions instead of trying to outrun them.