/f/todayilearned
TIL of Laura Secord who walked 20 miles through American lands to inform the British-Canadian military about an American attack during the War of 1812. The alerted British-Canadian forces were able to repel the attack and capture 500 American soldiers.
wikipedia.orgSubmitted by NotAGoodDayAhead t3_xzjpye
TIL in the early 90s LL Cool J shared with his grandma that he couldn't survive as a rapper now that gangsta rap was popular. His grandma responded, "Oh baby, just knock them out!" which inspired him to write 'Mama Said Knock You Out' a grammy award winning certified platnum single.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by shaka_sulu t3_xygtrq
TIL that Supai, AZ is the most remote community in the contiguous US. It is 8 miles from the nearest road and is only accessible by foot, mule, or helicopter. It is the only place in the United States where mail is still carried in and out by mules.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by Lagavulin16_neat t3_xxoz8q
TIL James Brady, who was paralyzed during the attempted assassination of Reagan, was allowed to keep his title of Press Secretary for the duration of the administration. He was considered to be on 'leave-of-absence'. His successor Larry Speaks used the title Acting Press Secretary for seven years.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by ChronosBlitz t3_xxjm76
TIL Charles Schulz resisted adding a black character to Peanuts for fear of being perceived as patronizing. He changed his mind after MLK's death and a letter from a school teacher. In his introductory comic, Franklin meets Charlie Brown at the beach.
mentalfloss.comSubmitted by InfinitelyRepeating t3_xxedgl
TIL about the lia radiological accident, where three Georgians discovered two abandoned radioactive sources in the forest around which "there was no snow for about a 1 m (3.3 ft) radius, and the ground was steaming", they then decided to use them as heat sources for the night. One died.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by madplayshd t3_xwrcwo
TIL that breast cancer used to be known as "Nun's disease" due to the higher prevalence amongst nuns, who were at increased risk due to their celibate lifestyle. An association between reproductive history and cancer risk wasn't proven for about 250 years after it was associated with nuns.
floridatoday.comSubmitted by barrycl t3_xvkjlc
TIL in 2016 a man ate a ghost pepper in an eating contest and drank 6 glasses of water to cool off. He vomited so much he tore a hole in his esophagus and was rushed to a hospital where doctors found his left lung collapsed. He spent 23 days in the hospital and was sent home with a gastric tube.
health.howstuffworks.comSubmitted by LurkmasterGeneral t3_xvh0op