› added 12 years ago

165

TIL that nearly 3% of American films in the 1960’s contained scenes involving quicksand

Read more slate.com

via reddit.com

av50 TIL that flamboyant pianist Liberace almost died on Nov 22, 1963 after inhaling dry cleaning fumes from his newly cleaned costumes. What saved him from death, he said, was being woken up by his entourage to the news that JFK had been assassinated
7JGO TIL Napoleon demanded a method of communication that would not require light or sound. ‘Night Writing’ was developed as a tactile military code, but proved too difficult for Napoleon’s troops to learn and was rejected. Night writing became the basis for braille.
rN10d TIL In 1945, a mere 5 percent of France’s homes had a private, indoor bathroom
5AAD TIL that the beer drunk during the filming of the Hobbit was custom made by New Zealand brewers. It was a 1% dark stout called “Sobering Thought”.
b9oPp TIL 1 in 5 organ donations comes from the victim of a vehicular accident, and self-driving cars may end up exacerbating the shortage.