› added 4 years ago

130

TIL A brass lion’s head gripping a large brass ring was the most quintessentially British doorknocker. The lion as the king of beasts has been a symbol not only of strength, valor, and power but of Great Britain itself for centuries.

Read more handsomeproperties.com

via reddit.com

jN1ep TIL To ensure sailors’ safe passage to the afterlife, Romans placed coins under ship masts during construction. This practice is still used in modern shipbuilding to ensure good luck.
9YjN7 TIL more than six billion different knot types have been identified by mathematicians and scientists since the 1800s.
lojd5 TIL singer-songwriter James Blunt served as a captain in the British Army. During the Kosovo war he took along his guitar which was strapped to the outside of his tank and would perform for troops and locals. He also intended to refuse an order to attack Russians to prevent WW3.
wLj1W TIL that in 1604 the last recorded Milky Way supernova - visible to the naked eye in daytime - was the incident that catalyzed and laid the foundation for Galileo’s understanding that earth is not the center of the universe.
wLa6P TIL dolphins sleep with one eye open. Because they have to periodically go up for air and also be aware of predators, they are able to rest only half of their brain at a time and stay always somewhat conscious.