› added 9 years ago

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TIL that there was once so many millipedes in Australia that it caused a train crash

Read more theaustralian.com.au

via ift.tt

W7re8 TIL that the United States Supreme Court established that the tomato should be classified as a vegetable rather than a fruit under U.S. Customs regulations. The Court’s 1893 decision was meant to differentiate the technical botanical definition from the commonly used one.
0d5N TIL that in France in the 1500s, women could charge their husbands with impotence. He would have to become erect and show he could ejaculate in a courtroom. If he failed, he could demand a Trial by Congress and attempt to have sex with his wife in front of the experts.
6EBKY TIL about the origin of the term “decimation”. It was a punishment in the Roman Army where soldiers were spilt into groups of 10, straws were drawn and whoever drew the short straw was clubbed, stabbed or stoned to death by the remaining 9. The first recorded instance of this is from 478 BC.
0loA TIL the Titanic’s coal stores had been burning for weeks before she set sail, damaging the starboard side of the ship where the iceberg hit. There was not only a cover-up, but evidence that the fire damaged the hull enough to be a large contributing factor to why the iceberg caused such damage.
vPBAr TIL that Saint Nicholas’ reputation as a secret gift-giver originates from him discreetly funding three poor girls’ dowries so that they wouldn’t be forced into prostitution.