› added 9 years ago

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TIL astronomer Ptolemy thought that the gods, out of curiosity/boredom, would peer down at the earth from between the spheres; when this happened, stars would slip out of this gap, flashing towards the earth. Shooting stars meant that the gods are now paying attention to whatever you would wish for.

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pY9Re TIL there is a rare disorder called uncombable hair syndrome caused by a genetic mutation that changes the hair shape from cylindrical to triangular
V84m TIL A simple laser procedure can turn brown eyes blue
gMwVD TIL One of the first soldiers to charge the beach on D-Day was a Canadian bagpiper, who only survived because he said German Snipers thought he was to crazy to shoot
xOdb TIL the Supreme Court ruled in 1898 there are only three exceptions to birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment: Those born from foreign leaders or diplomats, on foreign public ships, and from hostile enemy forces occupying US territory.
ANxXB TIL: Eugene Bullard (1895–1961) was the first Black combat pilot, serving in the French Air Service during WWI. An American expatriate, he later became a jazz musician, boxer, and club owner in Paris after escaping Jim Crowe. He used his status in Parisian high society to spy on the Nazis.