› added 11 years ago

65

TIL that in 1912 someone invented a 2 wheel car that used gyroscopes to stay upright, and it was based on a fictional book released only a year before.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

xV401 TIL Yellapragada Subbarow who discovered ATP, methotrexate and tetracycline couldn't graduate medical school as he refused to wear British surgical gowns in favour of Khadi ones supporting the Indian independence movement.
mrQo TIL in 1971, a woman petitioned a Judge for permission to sterilize her “somewhat retarded” daughter. Without a hearing, evidence, or representation for the daughter, the judge granted permission. The daughter later tried to sue the judge, but the Supreme Court voted 5-3 to grant the judge immunity.
1aMED TIL that the longest siege in history happened in the 17th century and lasted 21yrs.
OoA67 TIL that, Nepalese Gurkha Tul Bahadur Pun, recipient of the Victoria Cross during WWII, had his application for settlement in the UK initially denied on the ground that he had "failed to demonstrate strong ties with the UK."
X0wWP TIL: Levi’s uses a blank tab on 10% of its products to protect its trademark of the tab shape.