› added 3 weeks ago

4

TIL that Albert Pierrepoint, a British executioner from 1931 to 1956, only did so on the side. His day job was running a pub, and it was well-known that he was also a hangman. In 1950, he hanged one of his regulars (whom he had nicknamed "Tish") for murder.

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X0oWD TIL that Matsuo Basho, considered the greatest haiku poet in history, visited the city of Matsushima and wrote the following haiku: "Matsushima ah! Ah-ah, Matsushima ah! Matsushima ah!"
PYDgw TIL the large Hadron Collider has had such bad luck with accidents and animals randomly breaking it that some scientists have hypothesized it's being sabotaged from the future to stop us from destroying the universe.
vrZ8 TIL Japan has a desert that is approximately 30 square kilometers and attracts up to 2 million visitors annually
95Z6 TILL there once a breed of dog called turnspit dogs, who’s sole purpose was to run on a wheel that turned meat to cook it evenly. The wheel was put high on the wall, to keep the dogs from overheating due to the nearby fire.
4kXPo TIL An orange tree blight began spreading from China in the 90s. It has now infected trees worldwide and is decimating orange production. Orange harvest is down 72% in Florida and 31% in Brazil. There is no known cure for the blight and scientists are frantically trying to find a cure.