› added 9 years ago

132

TIL there was a ‘father of algebra’ before Al-Khwarizmi.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

vPmmR TIL that the Germans invaded Norway off of maps from a tourist guidebook. Hitler gave the commanding ground general less than eight hours to plan the invasion so the general picked up a guidebook at a nearby stationary store. Norway resisted for 61 days - the longest of any German defeated nation.
6LZ7 TIL that during the 2014 Thai coup d'etat, sandwiches were used as an anti-coup symbol, and a group of students were charged with “possessing sandwiches with ill intent”.
M7rVb TIL Mountain lions, pumas, panthers, and cougars are all the same animal - the Puma Concolor
88QL TIL that a 15 year-old boy stole one of those giant Caterpillar Earth movers and took off on a 12 mile joyride all the way across Tucson, knocking down power poles and running red lights at 30+mph. Police were basically unable to stop him until he hit a dead end and they shot him.
dkN9 TIL that Walt Disney had an older brother named Roy who was the CEO and later president/chairman of Walt Disney Productions from 1929-1971. Roy eschewed publicity and preferred to work behind the scenes, leaving his brother to be the face of Disney.