› added 2 years ago

93

TIL that Kurt Waldheim was 'accidentally' elected UN Secretary-General in 1971, after the US, the UK, and China failed to coordinate their vetoes.

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v1067 TIL that George Francis Train organized the Union Pacific Railroad. He also traveled around the world in 80 days, which inspired the Jules Verne novel, Around the World in 80 Days.
9wQwm TIL California's only pirate was a corsair sent by the Argentine Navy. He took control of Monterey for six days and during this time his Argentinian troops burned down the town's fort, artillery headquarters, governor's residence, and the Spanish houses, but left the residents unharmed
d8QyE TIL that a regular can of Beer(5%) has the same alcohol content as a Half Shot of 40% Vodka.
D7Wj TIL that the purchase of Alaska from Russia by the U.S. was originally mocked by U.S. citizens, who called it “Andrew Johnson’s polar bear garden”
e0OVg TIL to never use laser pointers to play with your dog. It causes frustration (triggering the dog's prey drive but does not give closure), and can cause anxiety, confusion, and neurotic and obsessive-compulsive behaviors including becoming reactive to flashes of light and moving shadows.