› added 7 months ago

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TIL the first American woman to go to medical school was admitted as a joke. The students at Geneva Medical School thought it was joke when Elizabeth Blackwell applied to attend in 1847, so they decided to accept her. She graduated in 1849, started own practice, and opened an infirmary for the poor.

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bkd7 TIL that the company that created Zyklon B, the gas that was used to kill millions of Jews in the Holocaust, still exists, it is currently a pest control company.
OoW9g TIL in 1936 Jesse Owens a Black American Olympian 4 time gold medalist in track and field who competed in Nazi Germany did not receive any congratulations from then President FDR. Only decades later in 1976 was he finally recognized for his achievements representing America.
R7JAw TIL All modern birds can be considered dinosaurs. An alligator is not.
vPwYK TIL Lucas wanted Muppets maestro Jim Henson to voice the role of Yoda in Star Wars
d8Ed7 TIL: Pirates were generally considered by the English government to be reserve naval forces, and were sometimes given active encouragement such as knighthoods. Royal pardons were regularly issued and the public's opinion of pirates was often favorable, some considering them akin to patrons.