› added 12 years ago

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TIL that crossing your fingers for luck is actually a Christian symbol for invoking protection by emulating the shape of a cross.

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D1okD TIL in 1918 the SS Princess Sophia became grounded on Alaska's Vanderbilt Reef. Worsening weather ruled out any chance of a rescue. Two days later she sank with the loss of all 364 people on board. A dog was the only survivor.
Egnlo TIL Roadrunners can fly, they just prefer not to.
YpYrZ TIL Kuidaore in Japanese means destroying oneself through food or eating oneself to bankruptcy. In Osaka, it's a part of their history and pop culture.
X0Vor TIL that during Prohibition, many wineries would sell shipments of grape juice with instructions for home fermenting (which was perfectly legal). Here are some instructions from Lonz Winery in the Lake Erie region of Ohio.
X0mmD TIL that bananas are curved due to their growth towards the sun. The rate of cell division on each side of the fruit, influenced by sunlight, determines the degree of curvature.