› added 8 months ago

27

TIL that now every February 9th is national Gulf of America day

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

1aPMd TIL the phrase "in the limelight" which refers to being the focus of attention comes from a 19th century device. Calcium oxide known as quicklime is heated in an intensely hot flame until it glows brightly. First as a surveying tool, it allowed for more accurate measurements.
Oa9R TIL the song ‘Louie Louie’ was the subject of a 31 month FBI investigation for reports of explicit sexual lyrics. The FBI was 'unable to interpret any of the wording in the record.’ Ironically, the drummer later admitted to yelling 'Fuck’ when he dropped his drumstick at 0:54 during the recording.
8BKb TIL that Australian Aboriginals have a form of execution in which they curse the offender who often dies after a few days as they believe so strongly in the ritual.
yVY0v TIL the British submarine HMS Poseidon sank in 1931 after a collision with a Chinese steamship; 21 crew died in the incident. In 1972, the sub was secretly salvaged by China which wasn't known about in the West until a journalist discovered its description in a 2002 Chinese magazine article.
W7LD8 TIL that France and Spain "went to war" over a few stop signs in the 1970s and 1980s when France built two new roads that crossed a Spanish road and installed new stop signs which Spanish citizens continually removed over and over again for years. This became known as the "War of the Stop Signs".