W7bg8 TIL The final sermon of Martin Luther, the central figure of the Protestant Reformation, in 1546 was "entirely devoted to the obdurate Jews, whom it was a matter of great urgency to expel from all German territory."
9wXrm TIL that Sweden once had a real-life Shakespearean Christmas tragedy: King Birger invited his two brothers, who shared the kingdom with him, to a Christmas banquet and, after much drinking, had them locked in a dungeon to die so he could rule alone. He was overthrown in the rebellion that followed.
nWMkY TIL In 1653, Dutch sailor Hendrick Hamel and 35 crewmates shipwrecked off the coast of Joseon (modern-day Korea). Due to Joseon's isolationist policy, they were not permitted to leave. After 13 years, Hamel and 7 others escaped by boat to Japan. He then wrote the first Western account of Korea.
4kWew TIL Mitsubishi is made up of around 40 companies that make up nearly 10% of Japan's public revenue.
x6n9D TIL that one of North America’s rarest dragonflies, the Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly, has nearly 360° vision, can fly around 40 km/h, and hunts with a success rate close to 95% yet only a few hundred remain because its wetland habitat is disappearing.
epbkb TIL bubble wrap was originally invented to be sold as textured wallpaper, not packing material.
VBbKZ TIL that after the 1984 Bhopal disaster, the worst industrial accident in history, the American CEO of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, fled India and was declared a fugitive. The US government refused to extradite him, and he died a free man in Florida in 2014.
X0bLQ TIL about Lee Jae-yong, who was arrested in 2017 for bribing the South Korean president. He was pardoned in 2022 because it was better for the economy.
69w8l TIL that upon release in France, the lesbian erotic drama "Blue is the Warmest Color" received a 12 rating, the country's equivalent of PG-13
OGvJX TIL In 1553, Dutch sailor Hendrick Hamel and 35 crewmates shipwrecked off the coast of Joseon (modern-day Korea). Due to Joseon's isolationist policy, they were not permitted to leave. After 13 years, Hamel and 7 others escaped by boat to Japan. He then wrote the first Western account of Korea.
wo4nM TIL Boston's adult entertainment district called the "Combat Zone" in the 70's had support from both Senator Barney Frank and notable conservative William F Buckley Jr
R5yLj TIL the US Treasury has a service called the "US Currency Education Program" on how to spot counterfeit money, and all the security features paper currency has | "Move your finger up and down Benjamin Franklin’s ($100 bill) shoulder on the left side of the note. It should feel rough to the touch"