› added 5 years ago

53

TIL of Jean Lanfray, a labourer who murdered his wife and children in a drunken rage in Switzerland in 1905. His murders were blamed solely on the influence of absinthe, despite the fact that he’d drunk many other alcoholic beverages. It set off a moral panic, and Switzerland soon banned absinthe.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

VMybZ TIL about the U.S. Air Force's doomsday weapon, SLAM. The rocket was designed to fly fast and low over the Soviet Union, dropping hydrogen bombs over predetermined targets while its unshielded nuclear reactor contaminated everything in it's path.
VgZZ TIL that Buddhists see the movie “Groundhog Day” as an illustration of Samsara - the cycle of life, death, and rebirth
XExEj TIL in Spain they pray to St Cucuphas when something is lost. They tie knots into a handkerchief representing his testicles. They promise to undo the knots once the lost object is found.
kDNd TIL about hostile architecture, where public spaces are constructed or altered to discourage people from using them in a way not intended by the owner.
ZjGo TIL that crabs are the ultimate gentlemen. After copulating with a female, a male crab will “hold” the female for days until her shell hardens.