› added 5 years ago

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TIL that one of the things the Mafia can trace it's origins to is the citrus trade in the mid 1800's. The extortion, intimidation, and protection rackets that characterize Mafia activity were first practiced and perfected in the citrus gardens of Palermo, Italy.

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v75R TIL Microsoft was making $5-15 on every Android phone sold because of patents, peaking at $2bil in 2013
yVoep TIL Japan's real name as it's called in the Japanese word "Nihon" (日本) literally translates as: The "Land of the Rising Sun"/"The Origin of the Sun". This name was apparently given because the sun rose over Japan from China's POV. The English word "Japan" comes from a different early Mandarin word.
P1ZlL TIL that in 2008, a gamma ray burst was observed from 7.5 billion light years away. It was visible with the naked eye for about 30 seconds, and if viewed from the same distance as the sun it would be 21 quadrillion times brighter.
PYWQJ TIL that ice worms are a family of worms that live entirely in glacier ice, feeding on algae, and are unique among animals because their metabolism increases as temperature drops.
GAgJ TIL that China has practiced a form of gift exchange that goes back to the 7th Century where a Panda is given away for the purpose of diplomatic relations. This practice is known as “Panda Diplomacy”.