› added 5 years ago

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TIL that, for a brief time, there existed a breakaway "Samurai Republic" on the island of Hokkaido that held the first-ever "democratic" elections in Japan

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via reddit.com

KO94w TIL about Himeji Castle located in Himeji, Japan. The castle is the largest and best-preserved samurai fortification in the country and is both an official National Treasure of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
wLkEY TIL the "Dog Days of Summer" doesn't have to do with dogs laying around during the hottest days of the year, but the location of Sirius in the night sky
1Ve8 TIL ancient Egyptians used meteorites as jewelry
N7pM TIL the DMC Delorean, of Back to the Future fame, is going back into production in 2013 as an electric vehicle.
m8Lo TIL that UK hypnotist Derren Brown organised an elaborate prank whereby he convinced one man that he had woken up in a Zombie apocalypse. The ruse, that took months of planning, lasted several days and included 200+ actors.