› added 8 years ago

193

TIL in 1861, slave Robert Smalls stole a confederate ship and took it to the Union. He was given command of a Union ship, became a general then purchased his owner’s house and let the sick wife of his owner live there until she died. He became literate and then served 5 years in Congress.

Read more pbs.org

via reddit.com

8eK4V TIL The Great Wall of China was built using "sticky rice mortar," a mix of sticky rice soup and slaked lime. This mortar has a high adhesive strength, sturdiness, and waterproofing capability and prevents weeds from growing. It is also strong enough to resist earthquakes and modern bulldozers.
R5Ld6 TIL about Murphy, a disabled Bald Eagle who became famous after he attempted to hatch a rock. In 2023 the keepers of his sanctuary replaced his rock with an orphaned eaglet, allowing Murphy to finally become a real parent
kOXg TIL that the same man who invented tetris also invented bejeweled, and that in Russia, bejeweled is highly revered.
m7by TIL Simply wearing a US military uniform in public or falsely claiming to have served is not a violation of The Stolen Valor Act. Only wearing or claiming to have earned certain decorations with the intention of profiting monetarily or in some tangible way is a violation of federal law.
yQR9a TIL The use of barber's pole dates back to the middle ages. The barbers used to perform surgery on customers, therefore the colored stripes indicated that they were prepared to bleed their patients (red), set bones or pull teeth (white), or give a shave if nothing more urgent was needed (blue).