› added 5 years ago

57

TIL that Samuel McCulloch, a freed slave, was the first Texian soldier to be wounded during the Texas Revolution, in 1835. A law later prohibited freed slaves from residing in the Republic of Texas, but specifically excluded McCulloch, his family, and his descendants in recognition of his service.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

VBmBk TIL the words 'young turks' in the song 'young turks' by Rod Stewart is slang for rebellious people.
KOjWR TIL cucumber is not only a fruit but also a type of squash, related to pumpkins.
WbEd TIL: The Guatemalan Special forces, the Kaibiles, are infamous for forcing recruits to raise a puppy, bonding with it and then killing and eating it. Recruits are also shot and forced to perform field surgery on themselves, and they also have to drink water out of recently fired artillery shells.
Mea6B TIL About Unsinkable Sam - The Cat Who Survived Three Sinking Ships During His Naval Service In WW2
MepV8 TIL that the Egyptians' system of taxation was based on usable land area, and you could claim a reduction in tax based on the surface area that dipped underwater when the Nile flooded.