› added 12 years ago

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TIL During the New Mexico State Penitentiary Riots a prisoners head exploded after a blow torch was used to burn out his eyes

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b9VKZ TIL before asbestos was seen as hazardous, a Han dynasty general had a jacket made from it. He would pretend to spill wine on it at dinners. Then he'd throw it into a fire and pull it out to show it was still intact to impress his guests.
78oJr TIL American sculptor Bob Cassilly, best known for creating the City Museum in St. Louis, was present when Laszlo Toth vandalized Michelangelo's Pietà in Italy. Cassilly struck Toth multiple times before pulling him away from the statue.
4XMXN TIL 1816 was “The Year Without A Summer.” The dust from a massive volcanic eruption reduced sunlight for months, dropping temperatures and killing crops in North America & Europe. This indirectly led to the development of Mormonism, Frankenstein, and the modern bicycle.
yQK8M TIL actress Judi Dench is growing a forest on her property in Surrey, England dedicated to loved ones in her life who have passed on. Every time a friend or relative dies, she plants a tree in their honor. She started the tradition after the death of her husband, actor Michael Williams.
Z8PBY TIL of a child that woke up from a coma and slowly turned into a vegetable state where he couldn't move. He was fully conscious the full time