› added 4 years ago

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TIL about Ashvamedha, a ritualistic horse sacrifice in ancient India where a horse is allowed to wander for 1 year protected by the king's guards. If no rivals manage to kill or steal the horse after a year, it is returned and sacrificed in the city capital, legitimizing the soverignty of the king.

7rARM TIL That in 1969, Freddie Mercury fitted David Bowie with a pair of boots in Kensington Market, years before either of them were properly famous.
D1wGP TIL that there was a group of middle aged women called “Snapists” who believed that they were married to Severus Snape on the ‘astral plane’ and that he controlled their lives. An independent researcher published an in-depth paper on the matter.
nebDb TIL West Point has a tradition of celebrating the student who came in last in class rank but still graduated, called the Goat. Including having each cadet give the Goat money.
lOvN TIL that NFL legend Walter Payton originally didn’t want to play high school football, because his brother played and he didn’t want to compete with him. He only agreed to try out after receiving assurances that he wouldn’t have to quit the marching band, where he was an accomplished drummer
PYJEL TIL Before West Germany (the trizone) got its anthem, carnival songs were played to officially represent Germany. One such song was "We're the natives of Trizonesia" which is about making out with girls, to which the Allied officers, not speaking German, rose from their seats out of respect.