› added 9 years ago

189

TIL During World War I, France posted parrots at the top of the Eiffel Tower to warn against incoming aircraft. With the potential to hear up to a 20 mile radius, the parrots would squawk if they detected planes within Paris’ airspace.

Read more warehouse-13-artifact-database.wikia.com

via reddit.com

NXxmM TIL more people died taking selfies (379) than from shark attacks (90) between 2008-2021.
OGoxY TIL of head wobbling in India: besides doing head nods for "yes" and head shakes for "no", Indian people also wobble their heads side-to-side, with different meanings to the gesture depending on the speed of the wobble
xVEWk TIL of Bill Millin, a bagpiper who was one of the first soldiers to charge on D-day. While playing the pipes, his comrades fell around him. He said he only survived because German snipers thought he was too crazy to shoot.
vPd7r TIL that 27% of WWII Japan's Allied prisoners died while 4% of Nazi Germany's Allied prisoners died.
xVD17 TIL Pablo Picasso's grandson, Olivier, never knew his grandfather but has written two books about the artist “to set the record straight about rumors and legends and truths". Trained in law, Olivier brokered a deal with French carmaker Citroën to make a signature Picasso automobile