› added 12 years ago

89

TIL: America spends $34mil a year of taxpayer money to broadcast TV and radio to Cuba from Miami, FL. These broadcasts reach less than 1% of Cuba’s 11million residents. Broadcasted signals are jammed regularly by the Cuban government.

Read more globalpost.com

via reddit.com

8a94b TIL that a target of the BTK serial killer escaped death in 1973 by arriving home later than he’d expected. BTK had become obsessed with her and was “absolutely livid” when she evaded him. He’d waited hours for her, but got impatient and left when she didn't come home.
olYR TIL that during the WWI First Battle of the Marne, French reinforcements were transported to the front from Paris using a fleet of taxis, running up a fare of 70,012 francs.
mx4eP TIL in the civil war, generals would deliberatley expose themselves to enemy fire to show off their courage and to lead by example. Union general Kearny rode right next to confederate lines, saying "The Rebel bullet that can kill me has not yet been molded". Shortly after he was shot and killed.
Y87x TIL that Liquindi, or Pygmy water drumming, is practiced by the Baka Forest People of central Africa. Tones are produced by trapping air in one’s hands and hitting the surface of the water, to create percussive musical rhythms.
WMrN TIL: Female black bears delay the implantation of their fertilized eggs for months, effectively timing when they will give birth, and aborting the pregnancy if they are not healthy enough to rear cubs