› added 11 years ago

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TIL that contrary to popular belief, King Mongkut of Siam’s proposed gift of elephants to Abraham Lincoln was not meant to be used to combat the Confederacy, but rather to create a feral pack of elephants in the US for future use.

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WA1L TIL the inventor of the Pringles can, Fredric Baur, had his ashes buried in one.
P1awn TIL that certain types of cheeses are made using tiny arachnids called "cheese mites" which ingest the unfinished dairy product and excrete the material that completes the cheese.
1a5OD TIL there's a full-time position at the Tower of London called the "Ravenmaster" that is the caretaker for the flocks of Ravens that inhabit the grounds there
QNvvk TIL in March 1933 The Enabling Act became law in Germany, giving the chief executive power enforce his own laws without checks and balances. The passing of the Act marked the formal transition from democratic republic to totalitarian dictatorship. 6 months later, it was a 1 party state.
QJwGa TIL that France produces 80% of its electricity from nuclear power. Highly radioactive nuclear waste from its production amounts to 10g/year/person. For a person living a 100 years, this amounts to a cube with a side length of 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) - roughly 2/3 the size of a standard Rubick's Cube.