› added 6 years ago

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TIL That the first Christmas party held at the US Embassy in the USSR featured three performing seals, who came into the room balancing a Christmas tree, a tray of glasses, and a bottle of champagne. Afterward, the seal's trainer (quite drunk), passed out, and the seals galloped freely in the house.

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8eQy8 TIL Sklar has collaborated on recordings and tours with numerous musicians, including James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Phil Collins, Toto, and Lyle Lovett. Sklar has contributed his skills to well over 2,000 records as a group member, session musician, or touring musician.
Z8X4o TIL Theo Jansen has been creating strandbeesten, which are moving kinetic structures, sometimes wind-propelled, that resemble walking animals. All of his models are based on a system of triangles and connecting links which convert the rotation of an axle into a stepping motion of six or more legs.
8aGV4 TIL that even the typographer who designed Comic Sans only used it once, and that was to send a letter to Sky for his broadband problem.
GYaR4 TIL: Robert P. Hansen was a real life American-Russian spy that sold thousands of documents to the Soviet/Russian government between the years of 1979-2001. He was sentenced to 15 consecutive life terms at ADX Florence Supermax Prison.
R7Z7j TIL Culhuacan king allowed a small migrant Aztec tribe, the Mexica, to settle on his lands. 24 years later they sought marriage with the Culhuacan princess. Rather than marry her, the Mexica sacrificed her, then invited her father to a banquet where a priest wore her flayed skin as a garment.