› added 8 years ago

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TIL when the co-founder of Pirate Bay was arrested he asked to phone his girlfriend so she could watch his house before leaving with the police. The police allowed him to make the call, but instead he used an app on his phone that immediately encrypted all of his computers at his work and home.

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JY8l4 TIL The Papal election of 1268-71 was the longest in history. It took so long that the cardinals were locked in, their rations were reduced to bread and water, the roof of their hall was removed, and 3 died of old age. The new Pope changed the rules to stop it from repeating, making the Conclave.
ZX8D TIL Men competed nude in the Ancient Olympics to celebrate the achievements of the human body. Because of that married women were not allowed to watch the Olympics with death as a punishment. In Sparta which is more liberal both men and women exercised in the nude.
oPw7 TIL that for the movie Mallrats, Jason Mewes (Jay) had to audition for the role, even though it was written for him and he had played it before, because the studio did not want him. Others that he auditioned against included Seth Green and Breckin Meyer.
VMJE0 TIL before the discovery of x-rays or the popularity of xylophones, alphabet books struggled with examples for "X is for...". Some used Greek figures like Xerxes and Xantippe, but others were lazy and just said "X is a letter, like this X".
LkrBV TIL William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke served 4 kings, beat 500 knights in combat, unhorsed the Lionheart, and saved England. His tomb effigy in Temple Church survived Luftwaffe bombing