› added 4 years ago

131

TIL Palau became the first country in the world to ban sunscreen that is harmful to sea life and corals.

Read more bbc.com

via reddit.com

oR51r TIL that the "!" symbol, known as the exclamation mark, was originally called a "note of admiration."
WkO5Y TIL about the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which was signed in 1928 and made war illegal, even though the pact had no mechanisms for enforcement
abDZ TIL Giant Rats have been trained to sniff out 14000 landmines and other unexploded arsenal. The rats, which undergo nine months of training, are light enough to not trigger the explosives. They literally work for peanuts!
49YR TIL the term “limelight” originated because when heated to 2,400 °C, calcium oxide (quicklime) emits a strong glow. Before electricity this was how theaters lit the stage.
0d8QL TIL there is a (tongue-in-cheek) secret society called The Sons of Lee Marvin. It consists of people who bear a resemblance to the actor, so that they could plausibly be his sons. Actual or rumored members include Jim Jarmush (founder), Tom Waits, John Lurie, Iggy Pop, Neil Young & Josh Brolin.