› added 9 years ago

77

TIL when George Washington died in 1799, Napoleon ordered 10 days of nationwide mourning in France.

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4XJaR TIL that Vandenberg AFB had been modified to launch shuttle missions into polar orbit, however the Challenger disaster ended up putting an end to those plans.
yQ7rl TIL about Humbert of Moyenmoutier, who was sent by the Pope to carefully negotiate with the Patriarch of Constantinople. When the Patriarch failed to greet Humbert warmly, Humbert excommunicated the Patriarch in the Pope's name, creating the Great Schism, splitting the Christian church in half.
40eb TIL James Cameron originally did not want Titanic to have a theme song. Composer James Horner got Celine Dion to record the song ‘My Heart Will Go On’ in secret. Dion disliked the song and only one take was done, this demo version was eventually used and Dion has never recorded the song again.
BrgJd TIL its legal to hunt wild boars from a helicopter in the state of Texas
jNlJa TIL Benford's Law dictates that any number occurring in nature (such as the speed of light or the length of a river) is more likely to start with 1 than any other number. There's a 30% chance it will start with 1, and the probability of it being any number from 2 through 9 decreases exponentially.