› added 11 years ago

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TIL in 1917, staged photos that two little girls had taken of themselves w/ cardboard-cut-outs of magical fairies and gnomes were able to convince ‘Sherlock Holmes’ author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that he had discovered conclusive evidence for the supernatural.

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NX0EQ TIL an isolated, extinct volcano crater in Papua New Guinea is home to more than 40 unique species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, including the world's smallest parrot
e089b TIL that Harry Houdini in disguise would attend magic shows by people who claimed to be "spiritual mediums", knowing their trick, he would finally light a flashlight that left the deception in the open and stand up and cry “I am Houdini! And you are a fraud!"
KOYAw TIL that in California, stripclubs are not allowed to serve alcohol if they display fully nude dancers.
vP8bj TIL the first possible tornado report in the United States occurred in July 1643. The report was recorded by Massachusetts Governor and weather enthusiast John Winthrop, who observed a sudden gust that whipped up dust, lifted his meeting house, and killed a nearby observer with a fallen tree.
8aJpG TIL there is no universally accepted criterion for distinguishing two different languages from two dialects (i.e. varieties) of the same language. What's considered a language is therefore subjective.