› added 9 years ago

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TIL that The Tower Of London’s ravens are enlisted as soldiers of the Kingdom. As in the case with soldiers, the ravens can be dismissed for unsatisfactory conduct. Raven George (Enlisted 1977-1986) lost his appointment to the Crown, and was retired to Wales for attacking and destroying TV aerials.

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yQVlM TIL that 12,000 bears are farmed for their bile in Asia which is used in traditional Chinese medicine and generates $2bn per year. Farming always involves surgery on the bears to insert a catheter or to cut a hole through the abdomen by which the bile leaks. Bear bile has no medicinal effect.
Wk9J4 TIL 21 years ago Twenty people died when a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft, while flying too low, against regulations, in order for the pilots to "have fun" and "take videos of the scenery", cut a cable supporting a gondola of an aerial tramway. The pilots faced no consequences.
XE4dE TIL that after the Ottomans entered Constantinople the Last Byzantine Emperor remarked that "The city is fallen and I am still alive." He tore off his imperial ornaments so to let nothing distinguish him from any other soldier and led his remaining soldiers into a last charge where he was killed
69GoX TIL that Pluto was named by an 11 year old girl named Venetia Burney Phair
9Yxgr TIL Joey's character in FRIENDS was not supposed to be dumb, according to the original script. It was only when Matt LeBlanc auditioned for Joey, he put a "different spin" on the character, which was liked by the creators of the show.