› added 7 years ago

87

TIL that in 1795, nearly one sixth of the entire U.S. federal budget was sent to Algeria as a ransom for 115 American sailors captured by pirates.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

VM0M0 TIL in the early 1900’s, King Edward VII of Wales was too fat to button the bottom button on his suit. Out of respect all his subjects did the same, and the tradition of never using the bottom button remains to this day.
vPmdj TIL that Ernesto Miranda, the man whose case led to the famous Miranda Rights, was convicted in a second trial for his crimes that excluded the now-illegal evidence. He was paroled after five years, and fatally stabbed four years later. His killer fled to Mexico and has never been found.
Z8AxD TIL of Thallium Poisoning. A chemical often used for rat poison that kills slow and painfully through potassium channels. One of the main treatments is to feed the patient Prussian Blue paint
dWNE TIL that when we landed on the moon we placed reflectors that can reflect any laser pointed at it back to the earth, which smashes the conspiracy that we never went.
rRGWw TIL that Gay Penguins will steal babies to raise from Straight Penguins. Some will even leave rocks as decoy eggs.