› added 10 years ago

263

TIL a whale known as “the world’s loneliest whale” is the only one known to produce “songs” at 52Hz. Although the sonic signature is that of a whale, the frequency is unique in no other whale uses it to answer back. His songs were first detected in 1992. A 50-day search for him will start this Fall.

79OM TIL Underneath Beijing there is a city spanning 33 square miles called Dixia Cheng. It was built in the 1970’s due to rising tensions between China and the Soviet Union.
JYEWV TIL the Boston Museum of Fine Art has a fragment of an egyptian ivory box that has the name of the woman called benerib, the queen consort of first dynasty pharaoh hor-aha. The name benerib can be translated as "sweetheart" and is thought to be an ephitet than a name.
vPGr8 TIL Yao Tongbin, one of China's foremost missile scientists, died after a young engineer overthrew the leadership of the research institution where he worked at, resulting in a literal armed conflict between administrative staff/workers with scientists/engineers, during which Yao was beaten to death
J8mB TIL The word “silhouette” derives from Étienne de Silhouette, French finance minister, whom imposed severe economic demands upon the French. Prior to the advent of photography, profiles cut from black card were the cheapest way of recording a person’s appearance. Therefore, the connection.
9Y1JD TIL that Scotland gained its Northern Isles from the Kalmar Union (the combined kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) since the king of the Kalmar Union's daughter was getting married to the king of Scotland but the king of the Kalmar Union never paid the dowry so Scotland annexed the islands.