› added 5 years ago

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TIL that Cyril Radcliffe was given just five weeks to decide on a border between India and Pakistan. Before his appointment, he had never visited India and knew no one there.

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xVwKb TIL The Pied Piper Fairy Tale may have been inspired by an actual historical event. Inscription: “on the 26th of June ... 130 children – born in Hamelin – were led out of the town by a piper wearing multicoloured clothes. After passing the Calvary near the Koppenberg they disappeared forever."
Xkrr TIL A Roman vessel was discovered off the coast of Brazil and its discoverer claims it would likely rewrite their history books. Brazil promptly covered the site with harbor silt and restricted further dives.
1aKQD TIL Jim Thorpe, in 1912, has his shoes stolen on the morning of his olympic track and filed events. He simply put on two other shoes that someone had tossed in a trash can. They were different sizes, though, so he had to wear extra socks on one foot to even them out. He went on to win two Gold medal
yQGOe TIL about John Carpenter. The first winner to ever win "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", used none of his lifelines until the final question, when he called his dad. He told him that he didn't need any help on the final question, but he just wanted to let him know that he was about to win $1,000,000.
4kaGR TIL about the London Beer Flood of 1814. One of the Horse Shoe Brewery's fermentation tank supporting bands snapped and set loose 320,000 gallons of beer on the neighborhood of St. Giles. Ultimately, the beer flood resulted in eight deaths.