› added 9 years ago

195

TIL that in pre-famine Ireland, the average farmer would eat between ten and fourteen pounds of potatoes a day.

Read more historyireland.com

via reddit.com

ANWrn TIL insect antennae are often called 'feelers' because the insect waves them around. This is a misnomer because they are not only used for touch. The antennae are actually the insect’s 'nose' - they are used for the sense of smell. The paired antennae are made up of a number of individual joints.
YA7B TIL that in 1938 early aviator Douglas Corrigan was denied permission to fly from New York to Ireland. Since he was denied, he told navigators he planned to fly to California instead. 27 hours later he arrived in Ireland, telling officials that he must have mistakenly gone the wrong way.
bXr4 TIL in 1960, Singapore’s birth rate was 5.4, so the government introduced a policy to stop parents from having more than 2 kids. The fertility rate dropped to 1.44, below replacement rates so the government reversed its policy. The fertility rate has never restored back to replacement levels since
wA97 TIL every Rubik’s Cube can be solved within 20 moves.
J4w4 TIL Haiti is the first and only nation established as the result of a successful slave revolt.