› added 11 months ago

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TIL about British labour camps, Voluntary establishments whose aim was to help young men from the distressed areas of the country where unemployment was particularly high.

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jNEkR TIL A Cambridge University study found that people who frequently take day-time naps of an hour or longer tend to die younger than those who forego mid-day sleeping. The team thinks it's most likely an underlying health condition that is both causing fatigue, leading to naps and shaving years off
R5LKw TIL In 2001, a Yakuza mob boss named Tadamasa Goto gave a $100,000 donation to UCLA. In exchange, they gave him a liver transplant, allowing him to jump the queue. That same year, 186 people in the Los Angeles area died while waiting for a liver transplant. The FBI was also involved.
Bg7de TIL that British members of parliament are not allowed to resign their seats. To get around this, they're appointed to one of two "office[s] of profit under the Crown". Since MPs aren't allowed to hold those positions, this automatically disqualifies them from sitting in parliament.
LQOgm TIL John Jacob Astor arrived in New York City with a suitcase full of flutes to start a music store. A few years later he one of the richest Americans ever. He made his fortune in furs and real estate.
M75m TIL That due to the cosmological principle, any spot in space and time can be the centre of the universe.