› added 1 year ago

50

TIL radium was actively used in commercial products when it was first discovered. With its self-luminous property, radium paint was used for a number of items like clocks, cosmetics, or even food and medicine. The use of radium was discontinued after the death of Radium Girls.

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nwXd TIL that there are two libraries in Portugal that use resident bat colonies to protect the books from insects.
1aYkX TIL that in the 60s, the Dutch were so frustrated with the government's monopoly on TV that they built an artificial island in the North Sea to transmit uncensored television. Eventually, the Netherlands legally expanded its maritime claim and the military raided the island by air.
8DyK TIL of Nzinga, a 17th century queen in Angola who had a harem of men that had to fight to be with her and were put to death after a night of pleasure
P1ZMO TIL That the Black Death holds the greatest death toll in history - between 75-200 million people died? And there’s 1000-3000 cases still annually.
X0XE8 TIL Most Canadian mortgages on homes are 5 years. Their amortization is 30 years. Mortgages themselves are 5 years and then you need to refinance. If rates have gone higher you are financing into higher monthly payments. Yikes!