› added 11 years ago

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TIL when the invading Philip of Macedon sent this message to Sparta - “You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city”, they sent back a one word reply - “If”

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DQ0Bp TIL That the deadliest blizzard in history occurred in Iran in 1972. In some places over 25 feet of snow fell.
Ypk5B TIL that in 2016, Train released an album covering Led Zeppelin II in its entirety. NY Daily News called it "confusing and unnecessary".
mJko TIL: A POW during the Vietnam War named James Stockdale said to survive in such arduous conditions you must renounce optimism for stoicism. His optimistic fellow captives all died. Having a blindly optimistic view worsens your chances of survival. This is called ‘The Stockdale Paradox’.
aw5Wy TIL The Apollo 15 mission left behind a small aluminum statuette called Fallen Astronaut, along with a plaque bearing the names of 14 known American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts who had died in the furtherance of space exploration.
8aPG4 TIL that one of the conspirators of Franz Ferdinand's assassination swallowed a cyanide pill and jumped into a nearby river after a failed attempt to kill Ferdinand. The cyanide pill was expired and only made him sick, and the river was only 10cm deep. He was detained seconds later by authorities.