› added 5 years ago

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TIL the political "Left" and "Right" picked those sides in 1789, when French revolutionaries in the National Assembly decided which side of the room they would sit on. "So as to avoid the shouts, oaths, and indecencies that enjoyed free rein in the opposing camp." -Baron de Gauville

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kJ9Q1 TIL Wolverine is an actual animal, not just a comic book character
b6vO0 TIL Every year on the anniversary of his death, the National Trust leave the bedroom light on in John Lennon’s childhood home, all night.
E1L0P TIL that Marius, a giraffe bred at Copenhagen Zoo was euthanized and publicly dissected at 2 years of age because they didn't want to breed him. He was then fed to lions. This was in spite of other Zoos offering to give Marius a permanent home.
vP4W4 TIL 8-10 year old boys were sometimes castrated to preserve the high prepubescent vocal range. (This practice stopped in the late 1700s)
D1PDP TIL first roller coaster started to transport coal down a hill. But, after people found that it could reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour, tourists asked to ride on it for a few cents.