› added 9 years ago

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TIL Theophilus Van Kannel, the guy who invented revolving doors did so because he hated chivalry, especially the idea of opening doors for women.

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LQNrZ TIL a group chemical compounds are named after Keanu Reeves, as they are comparable to his lethality in his film roles
R7Gvj TIL Senegal and other African countries are building a wall of trees across the width of Africa to stop the advancement of the Saharan desert.
awrXZ TIL: There have been 60,000 attempts to get across the Berlin Wall. 5,000 people managed to escape through the Wall, with an estimated death toll of 136.
jNmYM TIL when brainstorming the time travel plot for Star Trek: First Contact, they considered sending the crew back to the Renaissance, befriending Leonardo da Vinci, and having sword fights alongside phaser fights. The idea was scrapped for being too campy and Patrick Stewart refused to wear tights.
WkaJd TIL that the former ruler of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov (also called Turkmenbashi), outlawed beards, lip syncing, and gold teeth because all three annoyed him.