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TIL one of the origin theories of the modern military salute comes from France. Knights were thought to greet one another in respect by lifting their visor with their free hand to reveal their face. The hand gesture of lifting the visor being similar to the "salute" hand gesture we do today.

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JY7Jk TIL that the word for roller coasters literally translates to "Russian Mountains" in many languages, due to the fact that roller coasters originate from slides made of ice in Russia around the 17th century. However, in Russian, they are known as "американские горки"--American Mountains.
YlVr TIL A photo of a man stealing a wallet in a store was on the bottom of The Lewiston Tribune on December 14, 2007. Above it was an unrelated photo of a man painting a business. Readers noticed both men were wearing the same clothes. They were identified to be the same person leading to his arrest.
QJDZE TIL that 965 years ago, a supernova was visible during the day.
6EJlZ TIL the internet's first uploaded image was of the joke band Les Horribles Cernettes (LHC), an all-girl group comprised of girlfriends & assistants of CERN employees. One chorus went "You never spend your nights with me / You don't go out with other girls either / You only love... your collider"
e0bpE TIL that when the first complaints of witchcraft had gone out starting the Salem Witch Trials, a church member had a "witch cake" made. They said it was "a means to discover witchcraft". It was made from rye meal and urine from those that were afflicted and then fed to a dog.