› added 9 months ago

30

TIL the term "Hollaback Girl" was coined by supermodel Naomi Campbell. Producer Pharrell Williams overhead a conversation Campbell had where she said, "I'm sorry, I have a name. I ain't no Holla Back girl", apparently referencing the women in the music video for "Young'n (Holla Back)" by Fabulous

4ZPg TIL in 1990 an unemployed Frenchman, André Gardes, attempted to annex the tiny British island of Sark with a semi-automatic rifle. When a member of the local constabulary complimented his weapon Gardes showed him the rifle, the constable took it and arrested him.
epwen TIL that consumption of the Australian aquatic fern called Nardoo can cause you to starve if improperly prepared. The plant contains vast quantities of an enzyme that obliterates thiamine (vitamin B1), making your body unable to unlock energy from food, even if eating a full nutritious diet.
xVlJ5 TIL the people around Siberia's Lake Baikal have a system for extracting submerged vehicles that have fallen through the ice, without using heavy machinery.
VBV58 TIL that Bill Laimbeer, legendary NBA tough guy who was instrumental in the late 80’s Detroit Pistons being labeled the “Bad Boys” also played a recurring role as a Sleestak on the original Land of the Lost TV series.
oBYVY TIL that the Plague of Justinian lasted over 200 years (541-750 CE) and killed up to 50% of Europe, meaning multiple generations of families lived everyday of their lives facing an incredibly deadly pandemic.