› added 9 years ago

142

TIL the US Government has spent more on a single plane than 10 years of funding for the NIH

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jyaa TIL There was a Smoking Lounge on the Hindenburg. “The smoking room was equipped with an electric lighter, similar to the kind of glowing coil that was once standard issue in automobiles”
paeG TIL that modern English surnames were given between the 12th and 14th centuries for taxation purposes in England, and were based on parentage (eg Donaldson), location (eg Wood, Lane), personal attributes (eg Short, Long) and occupation (Smith, Miller).
O6r6 TIL that when Genghis Khan sent a trade caravan to the Khwarezmid empire, the governor of one city seized it and killed the traders. Genghis Khan retaliated by invading the empire with 200,000 men and killing the governor by pouring molten silver down his eyes and mouth
4k6Og TIL that It is believed that the idea of a ladder was used over 10,000 years ago. Cave paintings of them were discovered in a cave in Spain. Whoever invited the first ladder is still unknown.
aw0gL TIL Chinese courts convict more than 99.9 per cent of defendants