Post * 69V87 — Curious Curator

› added 2 years ago

91

TIL that the flag commonly believed nowadays to be the official flag of Austria-Hungary was actually their civil ensign, only used by merchant ships and consulates. Austria-Hungary actually had no official flag, often flying the Austrian and Hungarian flags together instead.

Read more

kJAY7 TIL cigarettes were invented by Spanish beggars in Seville in the 16th century, who gathered cigar stubs and rolled the leftover tobacco in paper (papeletes) into cigarettes (cigarrillos). Cigarettes acquired respectability by the late 18th century and their use spread by Portugese traders

PYoeZ TIL of King Alexander of Greece who died after being bitten by a monkey that had attacked his German shepherd. This significantly impacted Balkan history and Winston Churchill later wrote, "it is perhaps no exaggeration to remark that a quarter of a million persons died of this monkey's bite."

rGwy TIL that Despite never having received naval training or participating in naval combat prior to the war, and constantly being outnumbered and outsupplied, Admiral Yi Sun Shin defeated 333 Japanese ships with only 13 Korean ships at the Battle of Myeongnyang.

6QA7 TIL That the first Victoria Cross was awarded to a 20 year old Ships Mate, for picking up a live shell that landed on the deck and throwing it overboard. He was promoted on the spot, rose to the rank of Rear Admiral and married the Captains daughter.

OGxrg TIL In Tudor England, there was a type of criminal called a "baretop trickster". It was a woman who would flash her breasts to lure men into a house. Once the man was inside he would be robbed by the woman’s accomplices.