› added 7 months ago

26

TIL Playdough was originally invented to clean soot off of wallpaper back when we used to burn coal for heat.

Read more smithsonianmag.com

via reddit.com

1aVAO TIL that the tragedy of the Library of Alexandria burning down and "setting knowledge back centuries" is a myth. In reality, the Library slowly declined over many years and by its end, most major cities had similar libraries with many of the same works.
7r9wO TIL John Cleese's surname was changed in 1923 by his father, who believed that the original surname "Cheese" was embarrassing.
rRrW4 TIL fine sugar particles are extremely flammable. So much that they caught a silo on fire in Georgia, 2008. The fire reached about 4000 degrees Fahrenheit.
nWdrW Today I learned where the Heard and McDonald Islands are.
E1ked TIL that the dog breed 'shih tzu' were bred for royalty in ancient China and where pets for many emperors.