› added 7 years ago

91

TIL In 1917, a canned food shortage affected the British Army, leading the government to issue soldiers cigarettes and amphetamines to reduce their appetites.

Read more wikipedia.org

via ift.tt

NW5E TIL 62% of citizens in Copenhagen ride a bicycle daily to work or education
xVEG0 TIL for millennia Autism and other sudden disabilities was explained by the Changeling folklore. A fairy or demon would steal a normal baby and replace them with their own child in disguise. The Changeling would cry, scream, not display social behavior, or just become completely unresponsive.
QNxmk TIL about "Man Engines" which were moving ladders that constantly moved up and down about 10 feet and used to move miners from 1000 ft deep mine shafts by stepping on and off the ladder step at the top of the up stroke, then stepping onto the next step on the down stroke (animation in link)
w1MP TIL that in 2011, Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Pixar, and Lucasfilm were found guilty of colluding with each other to repress employee wages.
gk67 TIL The total combined mass of all termites in the world is more than the total combined mass of the human population.