› added 5 years ago

67

TIL that in 1942 a dental surgeon from Pennsylvania USA wrote to the White House suggesting the use of incendiary bombs attached to bats, what ensued was $2 million dollars in research and a burnt down Air Force base.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

j6kPN TIL The term “idiot savant” was historically used to describe individuals with significant mental impairments but extraordinary skills in a specific area. Now considered offensive, it has been replaced by “savant syndrome” to focus on their exceptional abilities.
9Y8VM TIL that in 1857 John Nicholson burst into an officers’ dinner and said: “I am sorry, gentlemen, to have kept you waiting for your dinner, but I have been hanging your cooks." Nicholson had found out the cooks had poisoned the soup and so he had killed them all.
9Yy7G TIL the Mister Softee jingle playing from its trucks actually has lyrics.
PYwpO TIL about the Japanese retiree who uses Microsoft Excel as a painting platform because he didn't want to spend money on paints.
1gmd TIL that Nero did not “fiddle while Rome burned.” He rushed to Rome to organize a relief effort, which he paid for personally. He opened his palace to provide shelter for survivors, and arranged food deliveries to prevent starvation.