› added 10 years ago

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TIL that Crossing your fingers for luck is actually a Christian symbol for invoking protection by emulating the shape of a cross.

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vPlQj TIL of the Batavia, a Dutch East India Company ship that wreaked off the west coast of Australia in 1629. A war between the survivors broke out, as a merchant onboard led a plot to murder and enslave the others and found a personal kingdom.
Pv5w TIL that the director of the Jeepers Creepers film series is a convicted pedophile
oBV08 til paraffin wax was a common waterproofing method for circus tents but changed in 1944 after the Ringling Bros. Fire in Hartford, CT. The paraffin wax ended up accelerating the deadly fire & 1800lbs of hot wax "rained down from the roof"-killing 167 people; injuring 700, mostly women & children.
1bo7 TIL Patrick Stewart, was initially considered for the role of Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Roddenberry did not want to cast Stewart as Picard, since he had envisioned an actor who was “masculine, virile, and had a lot of hair”. Roddenberry’s first choice was Stephen Macht
WkAPo TIL Coyotes and Badgers can form hunting pairs, and work together.