Today I learned...

[Louanne Learning]

What did you learn today? It might be an interesting fact, or a new insight, or a new skill, or…

Please share!

I'll start.

Today I learned that 150 years ago today - on May 17, 1875 - the first Kentucky Derby was held.

 

[IgnitedxSoul]

Today I learned that in 1582 the month of October jumped from October 4th to October 15th as a consequence of changing to the Gregorian calendar from the Julian calendar. Apparently, this caused a lot of strife and riots with many not wanting the change and the change itself leading to a lot of confusion in commerce and trade. It was a rolling acceptance, with the latest adoption of the Gregorian calendar being Saudi Arabia in 2016.

 

[Louanne Learning]

in 1582 the month of October jumped from October 4th to October 15th

16th century time-travel

 

[Rath Darkblade]

England officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1752 -- specifically, on Wednesday, September 2nd (which was followed by Thursday, September 14th, to account for the 11-day difference). This change was formalized through the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.

Since this also applied to the American colonies, officially, no one was born in North America from September 3 through September 13, 1752. Except for the Native Americans, of course.

By the way, in 1752, New Year's Day was moved from March 25 (Lady Day, the Feast of the Annunciation) to January 1. So December 31, 1751, was followed by January 1, 1751 ... but December 31, 1752, was followed by January 1, 1753!!

Pretty weird. And kids think that history is boring ...

 

[Louanne Learning]

Today I learned about the First Opium War between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing Dynasty (1839-1842).

The British wanted to import opium. The Chinese didn't want them to. The British won.

 

[Rath Darkblade]

A-yup. And the Brits forced the Chinese to pay a lot of money for the, ahem, "privilege".

Of course, this was long before anyone knew how addictive opium was ... or cared.

 

[Link the Writer]

Today I Learned:

Tracing the Origins of the White Cane: Richard Edwin Hoover - Partners for Sight

Richard Hoover, referred to as the “’Father of the Lightweight Long Cane Technique,’” developed a successful technique using a long cane during his service as an army sergeant during World War II. Assigned to Valley Forge Army Hospital’s center for the treatment of blinded soldiers, Hoover...

partnersforsight.org

The Hoover Method — the sweeping and tapping of the white cane you see blind folks do. it was first developed for blinded veterans of WWII. There’s your Memorial Day factoid!

 

[Bone2pick]

This morning, while reading Martin Dugard’s Into Africa, I learned the origins of the term "The Dark Continent."

Excerpt: While the term later took on racial overtones, it came about because cartographers colored the unknown regions of Africa black—which, at the time, meant almost everything south of Cairo and north of Cape Town.

 

[Louanne Learning]

Today I learned....

 

[Rath Darkblade]

I wonder how many people donate their bodies to science, only for science to turn them down?

 

[Louanne Learning]

I wonder how many people donate their bodies to science, only for science to turn them down?

I had never thought of that. So I googled "acceptance rate of bodies donated to science?"

It seem that it is 70% in New Hampshire.

I wonder what was wrong with the other 30%

 

[DLC]

Tutankhamen changed his mind and was buried at sea.

 

[Louanne Learning]

Tutankhamen changed his mind and was buried at sea.

conspiracy theory?

 

[Kiraann]

I had never thought of that. So I googled "acceptance rate of bodies donated to science?"

It seem that it is 70% in New Hampshire.

I wonder what was wrong with the other 30%

Traumatic injuries, certain communicable diseases, extreme weight variances.

 

[Louanne Learning]

Today I learned...