› added 2 years ago

149

TIL about Otto Esche's attempts to import Bactrian camels to Nevada to transport salt across the Sierra Nevada. Silver miners and their animals hated the camels so much that "Virginia City, Nevada, passed an ordinance outlawing camels on the town streets except between midnight and dawn."

Read more c-span.org

via reddit.com

GAN9G TIL that a "Munro" is any mountain in Scotland with a height of over 3,000 ft, while a "Marilyn" is any hill or mountain in the British Isles with a prominence of over 150 metres.
DQxXr TIL: the 1966 song “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield was not written about the Vietnam War. The song was actually written about the protests/riots on L.A.’s Sunset Strip that occurred because the LA County began enforcing a 10 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18.
Wk494 TIL the Great Sphinx of Giza is so old, that when the first archeologic expedition came to restore it, it had to actually excavate it first, as it was covered up to its ears in sand and dust. Oh and no - that expedition didn’t take place in the 19th century. It took place 3400 years ago.
eprxb TIL In the 1600s, the Royal Society almost went bankrupt publishing a book of fish images. This led to them not being able to fund Issac Newton’s manuscripts. His work was almost canceled, until Edmund Halley fundraised for it. They were so broke, Halley was then offered his salary in fish books.
6EYo7 TIL, The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle and its paranormal explanations