› added 11 years ago

83

TIL Leo Ryan is the only member of US Congress ever killed in the line of duty. He was assassinated while investigating human rights violations at Jonestown.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

OGDYg TIL in 1999, a grass roots email campaign was able to get the 1988 song "Hangin' Tough" by New Kids On The Block onto MTV's "Total Request Live" show by encouraging people to vote for it. It landed at number 2 on the countdown.
vMR4 TIL The US incarcerates 760 prisoners per 100,000 citizens which is 7 to 10 times more than other developed countries
jEVN TIL A concerned Californian citizen, Gary Wesley, has been writing dissents to CA state propositions since 1978 simply because, “Somebody’s got to do it.”
Eg1WW TIL: General Santa Anna, of Alamo fame, is credited with helping introduce chewing gum to the United States by trying to sell tree sap to tire makers.
vlZr TIL The term X-mas doesn’t originate from the deletion or “x-ing” out of Christ like some people believe. The X is taken from the Greek word “Χριστός” or khristós (the anointed one).