› added 8 years ago

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TIL the makers of Hello Kitty, Sanrio, was in a big legal battle with a European toy company before the 2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami. Immediately after the disaster, both companies agreed to settle out of court and use the legal fees to help the victims.

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R7WN4 TIL from my Bolivian co-worker that Potosi (the largest city in the new world 1545) had more than 40,000 tons of silver shipped out of the town, making the Spanish Empire one of the richest the world had ever seen. He said it Bolivians claim it was enough silver to build an transatlantic bridge.
GYNME TIL about Monte Melkonian, an American citizen, who joined the Nagorno-Karabakh war in the early 90’s. With little military experience he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in command of 4 thousand men. He is recognized as a hero in Armenia with statues standing today in his honor.
VMlXQ TIL about the "sponge cities" in China. The scheme means that Wuhan and other areas in the scheme will have 20% of their urban land include "sponge features" (such as rain gardens and wetlands) by 2020 with an aim of retaining 70% of storm and flood water.
xVlXo TIL every year, clowns honor the death of Joseph Grimaldi—the father of modern European clowning—by holding a funeral for him and any other clowns that died that year. The ceremony is attended by hundreds of clowns and often ends with many going out into the streets to perform for the public.
Ooo67 TIL months before D-Day British Commandos drove a ship full of explosives on a delayed timer into strategically vital shipyard. Most were captured but 5 walked back to Spain. During interrogation, a German Officer told one of the Commandos the damage would be fixed in weeks, right before detonation.