› added 11 years ago

103

TIL that the word “utopia” literally means “not a place.”

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jG8a TIL in 1943, a former childhood friend of Hitler called Eugen Wasner told an anecdote to his Wehrmacht friends about 9 yr old Hitler trying to pee into a goat’s mouth. The goat then bit his penis, and Hitler ran away crying. Wasner was subsequently sentenced to death.
epNB4 TIL the Emperor Tiberius once tortured a man by ordering his skin scoured with a big fish intended as a gift, then with a crab also intended as a gift after the man accidentally mentioned it whilst being tortured
WngX TIL that several high school friends formed the Committee to End Pay Toilets in America (CEPTIA) in 1968, which eventually led to laws banning pay toilets in several states
wLBpP TIL "broken heart" syndrome is called Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) because the condition transforms the heart into a shape resembling a Japanese octopus trap. Scientists have proved that the brain is involved in the development of this heart condition.
V4vm TIL that while jet fuel cannot technically melt steel beams, it can burn hot enough to reduce the strength of steel by as much as 90%.