› added 5 years ago

213

TIL despite its name, the Spanish flu did not originated in Spain. The label stuck because Spanish newspapers were the first to report the outbreak. Spain was a neutral nation during WWI, so its journalists did not face the same censorship as those working in countries involved in the conflict.

Read more bbc.com

via reddit.com

MayB TIL that a family of people with blue skin lived in Kentucky for many generations. The Fulgates of Troublesome Creek are thought to have gained their blue skin through a combination of inbreeding and a rare genetic condition known as methemoglobinemia.
yVWaM TIL that bulls have their testicles literally crushed to prevent them from mating and reduce their aggression. This improves the marbeling on the meat and the reduced aggression allows them to be turned into oxen for agricultural purposes.
nedAP TIL that the “Trumpy Bear,” a stuffed animal made with an orange combover and an American flag blanket, is a real product and still airs commercials today
mxAmx TIL That one of the most important mathematical books ever written, Principia Mathematica, needed 360 pages to prove that 1 + 1 = 2. The book itself is considered so advanced and hard to understand that it's rarely used in academia at all.
9wN8p TIL the surface of the Straits of Gibraltar constantly flow east, from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean Sea.