› added 4 years ago

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TIL Australian adventurer Francis Birtles in 1927 became the first man ever to drive from England to Australia by car

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gMd1X TIL after Marvin Gaye recorded “What’s Going On”, he played it for Motown’s Berry Gordy Jr. who said it was “the worst thing I heard in my life.” Only after Gaye threatened to leave the label was it released, becoming massive hit and considered 4th greatest song of all time by the Rolling Stone.
R7AVl TIL San Francisco refused to enforce prohibition - repealing its local ban on illegal saloons, preventing the police from enforcing prohibition, and reprimanding officers who took action against alcohol consumption.
16G4O TIL about the Maeshowe cairn, a neolithic chamber, which Vikings took refuge in during a storm in the 12th century, leaving behind one of the largest collection of runic graffiti. examples vary from "Haermund Hardaxe carved these runes" to a reference to Rangnar lothbrock
a8O1Z TIL that Mozart wrote a song for performer Adriana Ferrarese del Bene, who was known for nodding her head down on low notes and raising her head on high notes, that contained many jumps from low to high notes. This caused her head to move in a way that Mozart found amusing.
OoAEX TIL that the element Cobalt gets its name from a trickster goblin of German folklore, the kobold, because when medieval miners discovered it and tried to smelt it thinking it was silver, it released toxic gasses they believed to be the goblin playing a trick on them.