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TIL the Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919 to end the First World War included a convention establishing concert pitch as A = 435 Hz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch#Pitch_inflation
https://redd.it/1exl5hv
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TIL that in Australia, "kangatarianism" is a vegetarian diet that allows for kangaroo meat, chosen for its environmental and ethical benefits as a more sustainable and humane option.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo_meat#Kangatarianism
https://redd.it/1exrhev
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TIL of Australian Senator Bill Heffernan, who in 2014 felt that the new security arrangements at Parliament House were inadequate. To protest this, he smuggled in a fake pipe bomb and presented it at a Senate hearing as proof that the building was "no longer secure".
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-26/bill-heffernan-fake-pipe-bomb-parliament-house-security-concerns/5477468
https://redd.it/1exlo4t
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TIL a British short film about the dangers of paedophiles was presented by Rolf Harris who was later charged as a paedophile
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kids_Can_Say_No!
https://redd.it/1exp9bz
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TIL the idiom "said the quiet part loud" originated from the Simpsons in 1995
https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=43732
https://redd.it/1ey1tmb
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TIL that three teams were disqualified from the 2012 Olympics for trying to lose their matches to secure more favorable placements in the knockout stages.
https://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/01/sport/olympics-badminton-scandal/index.html
https://redd.it/1ex33zu
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TIL the the Royal Canadian Mounted Police place undercover sky marshals on every Canadian flight to Ronald Regan Washington National Airport
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_marshal
https://redd.it/1ex4pk7
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TIL An Olympian Sold Her Silver Medal To Fund A Boy's Surgery. The Buyer Let Her Keep It.
https://www.npr.org/2021/08/19/1029380896/toyko-olympics-poland-silver-medal-javelin-auction-infant-heart-surgery
https://redd.it/1ewsf40
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TIL Virtually all dialogue in the movie This Is Spinal Tap (1984) is improvised. Actors were given outlines indicating where scenes would begin and end, but everything else came from the actors. As often as possible, the first take was used in the film, to capture natural reactions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Spinal_Tap
https://redd.it/1ex1tdt
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TIL Pink's hit "Get the Party Started" was written by 4 Non Blondes's Linda Perry, and Pink said in 2017 "You'd have to ask Linda Perry if it's about ecstasy. I don't know what she meant with it. I still don't know if it's 'I'm coming out...' Or 'I'm coming up...' I don't even know what I sang."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_the_Party_Started?wprov=sfla1
https://redd.it/1ex1vq3
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TIL that the power to punish pirates is explicitly mentioned in the US Constitution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_One_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_8:_Powers_of_Congress
https://redd.it/1ewaakc
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TIL that sometimes skinned ginger root is inserted in the anus as part of a caning punishment. The subject must choose between bracing for the strike (increased burning sensation) or relaxing the buttocks (taking the full force of the blow).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figging
https://redd.it/1eweaeh
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TIL that the lead singer of the Village People was straight, and he was married to Phylicia Rashad (Clair Huxtable from The Cosby Show)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Willis
https://redd.it/1ew2xiy
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TIL there is a common misperception that a landmine is armed by stepping on it and only triggered by stepping off, providing tension in movies. In fact the initial pressure trigger will detonate the mine immediately.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_mine
https://redd.it/1ew4qr0
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TIL the Bloody Mary Cocktail was invented in Paris, and was originally called a Bucket of Blood, then Red Snapper
https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/recipes/a27481/bloody-mary-origins-recipe/
https://redd.it/1evi7fe
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TIL that modesty was the reason stethoscope was invented by by René Laennec because he was not comfortable placing his ear directly onto a woman's chest in order to listen to her heart.
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Stethoscope
https://redd.it/1exi50f
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TIL Gregor Mendel originally planned to use mice for his famous genetics research but was forced to use peas because a Bishop was uncomfortable mice would be having sex in the abbey.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2122154119
https://redd.it/1exv76e
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TIL The only Commandant of the US Marine Corp to be fired from their post was removed for excessive drinking and "conduct unbecoming an officer." He is also the only former commandant whose burial location is unknown and has no official portrait.
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/11/10/a-birthday-toast-to-belligerent-marine-commandant-anthony-gale-the-only-top-officer-ever-fired/
https://redd.it/1extik3
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TIL that notoriously emasculated husband John Bobbit later also lost all his toes in a contaminated water scandal at Camp Lejeune.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/11081148/john-wayne-bobbit-sliced-manhood-lorena-apologize/
https://redd.it/1exsa1j
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TIL Japan was hailed the “international savior of the hour” by the allies during WWI and even used its navy to safeguard Hawaii so the USA could focus on the Atlantic
https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/june/japans-victory-world-war-i#:~:text=Japan's%20contributions%20during%20the%20war,which%20surrendered%20in%20November%201914
https://redd.it/1ex425z
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TIL that cats display the same main attachment styles, as babies and dogs
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/762627
https://redd.it/1ewzcwl
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TIL that American beers won 93 medals in European beer competitions in 2023.
https://www.brewersassociation.org/export-development-program/going-for-gold-american-craft-beer-excels-in-european-beer-competitions/
https://redd.it/1ewvtx4
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TIL Canadians love Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and call it "Kraft Dinner". Most Canadians ignore the instructions and believe that they have a unique way of preparing the food, like adding wieners or cheese. It was created in the Great Depression and has been described as "Canada's True National Dish"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraft_Dinner#In_Canadian_culture
https://redd.it/1ex5jjg
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TIL Glasmine 43, an anti-personnel mine with a glass body used by the Nazi Germany during World War II. Designed with the minimum amount of metal to reduce the likelihood of detection.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasmine_43
https://redd.it/1ewyl7f
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TIL when you move your eyes quickly from one point to another, there's a slight disconnect between your eyes and brain, which makes you perceive time stretching backwards slightly. This is why it seems like a clock takes longer than a second to move when you first look at it.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronostasis
https://redd.it/1ew6i7x
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TIL: A man was discovered to be unknowingly missing 90% of his brain, yet he was living a normal life.
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.3679125
https://redd.it/1ew2c1g
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TIL Keanu Reeves has donated more than $31 million for cancer research!
https://www.vogue.com/article/keanu-reeves-donation-cancer-research
https://redd.it/1ewfnjl
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TIL that when "The Pirate Queen" Grace O'Malley's sons were taken captive by the English, she convinced Queen Elizabeth to free them AND let O'Malley continue her piratical activities as long as she also defended the Crown
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_O'Malley#Meeting_with_Elizabeth
https://redd.it/1ew8ii4
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TIL King Henry VIII of England hired four men who regularly checked his faeces, monitored his bowel movements and wiped his bottom. They were appropriately called ‘Grooms of the King’s Stool’ and all of them were eventually knighted.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Groom-of-the-Stool
https://redd.it/1ewbkzw
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TIL: There used to be a "Bedding Ceremony" during a marriage where the bride and groom are put together in a marital bed in front of numerous witnesses. In 16th century Germany, the guests would leave and play pipes, drums, and celebrate loudly outside the room while the couple consummate.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedding_ceremony
https://redd.it/1ev39d3
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