› added 9 years ago

98

TIL that “Arabic numerals” are actually “Hindu numerals” and Arabs call the system, correctly, “Hindu numerals.”

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QNNd6 TIL that The kereru (New Zealand Wood Pigeon) is well-known for getting drunk off fermented fruit and falling out of trees. Consequently, it has earned the reputation for being "clumsy, drunk, gluttonous, and glamorous."
ADO4B TIL that out of the 1,000 deaths in the Kamaishi City tsunami, only 5 were school-aged children. 3,000 children from two elementary schools were saved because one professor who survived a 2004 tsunami insisted on rigorous tsunami evacuation training.
rrO0 TIL in 458BC Roman farmer Lucius Cincinnatus was named absolute dictator of Rome during a crises. After achieving victory he resigned and returned power to senate. His resignation of absolute authority is often cited as an example of outstanding leadership, serving the greater good and civic virtue.
LWDQ TIL the comedy film My Cousin Vinny is often praised by lawyers due to its accurate depiction of courtroom procedure, something very rare in films which portray trials. It is even used as a textbook example by law professors to demonstrate voir dire and cross examination.
OGEj7 TIL that in 2001, Warner Bros had to recall every single copy of a then-newly-released "The Powerpuff Girls" DVD because three of the DVD-ROM programs (including its installer) were accidentally infected with the "FunLove" computer virus, which would be spread to any PC that installed the software.