› added 6 years ago

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TIL There is a theme park in Lithuania which recreates life as a USSR citizen. Visitors have their belongings confiscated, have to wear mouldy overcoats, experience interrogation, and must learn the Soviet anthem.

Read more theguardian.com

via reddit.com

10WD TIL PETA had a problem with the whaling segment of Assassins Creed : Black Flag. Ubisoft dismissed it saying they did not condone whaling any more than they they condoned a pirate lifestyle
9wbGG TIL that Sweyn Forkbeard was the first Viking king to rule England. He massacred, plundered, and burned his way through the countryside, capturing London on Christmas Day 1013. He died just 40 days later. Upon his death the previous king Æthelred the Unready came back and retook his throne.
AbWo TIL in WW2 that Raymond Collishaw, leading pilots who were outnumbered and outgunned, flew their only Hawker Hurricane from base to base and on as many missions as possible to make the Italians believe that they had many. The plan worked as the Italians spread their resources out thinly.
Kmaw TIL Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation in Latin. The Vatican reporter who broke the story was the only one in the room who could actually understand the announcement.
YpKWr TIL about DRACO, a broad-spectrum antiviral that induces cell death in infected cells while leaving healthy ones intact, potentially curing everything from HIV to the common cold. Unfortunately, its inventor has thus far been unable to obtain funding to move forward into clinical trials.