› added 7 years ago

1836

TIL cyanide had no effect on Rasputin in the first murder attempt because cyanide sprinkled over cakes converted to harmless ammonia

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neQE9 TIL carrying the bride over the threshold is an ancient Roman custom dating back to the founders of Rome and the "Rape of the Sabine Women" in which the men of Rome abducted 'brides' from Sabine.
lor6V TIL The Beatles were all still in their 20s when they broke up. George Harrison was 26, Paul McCartney was 27, John Lennon was 28, and Ringo Starr was 29.
1aejX TIL: In US presidential elections, it is possible to win the most electoral college votes +AND+ win the popular vote and yet still not win the presidency. This happened in 1877 meaning Rutherford B Hayes was awarded the position by a senate and house vote
nWnQb TIL that “heat lightning” is a misnomer. It is simply lightning from distant thunderstorms. Lightning can be seen up to 100 miles away in the right conditions, while the sound of thunder doesn’t travel nearly as far.
d8GMj TIL the Hubble Ultra-Deep Field image was made from a total exposure time of just under 1 million seconds and in order to observe the entire sky to the same sensitivity the telescope would need to observe continuously for a million years