› added 5 years ago

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TIL that the world's first mental health hospital was built in Baghdad, Iraq in 705 AD. While mental health patients were being condemned, punished, and even burned in Europe, 8th and 9th century mental health patients in Iraq, Egypt, and Syria were given more proper hospitalization and treatment.

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neZRd TIL Daniel Berrigan— an anti-war priest wanted by the FBI for raiding a draft office & burning draft cards as part of the “Catonsville Nine” in 1968— emerged from hiding at a Cornell University rally, gave a speech, & was smuggled offstage inside of a large puppet. He evaded capture for 4 months.
wOW7 TIL cats in the US are said to have 9 lives whereas in Germany and southern Europe they only have 7 lives…while the poor cats in Arabian countries are even only said to have 6 lives.
9KPM TIL the word “Jumbo” alludes to a remarkably large circus elephant. The word did not exist in the English language prior to the circus attraction, which came to a halt when Jumbo was hit by a Canadian train and killed. As a result, Barnum attempted to sue the railway for $100,000.
rjV0 TIL that Harry Whittington, the man Dick Cheney shot in the face in a hunting accident, revealed in 2010 that Cheney has neither publicly nor privately apologized to Whittington for the shooting.
RdZ6 TIL that in the Netherlands there are dozens of public facilities where you can bring recreational drugs including weed, cocaine and ecstasy to test if they are safe