› added 4 years ago

76

TIL that Popeye was inspired by the looks of a polish man named Frank "Rocky" Fiegel

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v1ev8 TIL of Brigadier General Edward Lansdale, who in post WWII Philippines used the natives’ belief in vampires and ghosts his psychological warfare campaign. His men were instructed to abduct enemy stragglers, kill them, puncture their necks twice, and then bleed the corpses out. Edited for grammar
JYKvv TIL about Elizabeth McWilliams, a nurse's aid who took care of influenza patients in 1918. She worked tirelessly for patients before contracting the illness herself and dying. Her last words were "I am happy because I've tried to be a real American."
VMDp8 TIL about the craze of Pet Rocks in 1975. For about 6 months, they sold over one million Pet Rocks for $4 each. It was just a rock in a box with some straw and a care manual for tricks to teach. The creator had the idea in a bar as his friends complained about their pets.
nWKrd TIL Panama has a point where you can see the Sun rise on the Pacific and set on the Atlantic, the only country where you can see it that way round.
ADjkB TIL FIFA is not solely in charge of making the rules for football (soccer). Instead, FIFA meet with the football associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to collectively agree any rule changes. This is due to the legacy of the games origins in the United Kingdom.