› added 4 years ago

136

TIL Early in his naval career, Horatio Nelson nearly died while fighting a polar bear. Wanting the bear’s pelt as a gift for his father, Nelson’s gun misfired and he attacked the bear with the butt of his rifle. He was only saved when his ship fired a cannon that scared the bear and it ran off.

Read more youtube.com

via reddit.com

VM1J8 TIL of the 'Cannonball Run.' An illegal road race from New York to Los Angeles held five times during the 1970's. The record time was 32 hrs and 51 minutes.
pYn8O TIL of John Galvan, a wrongfully convicted man was released after 35yrs thanks to Mythbusters. He was forced to sign a confession to lighting a Molotov with a cigarette, killing two men. One day, in his cell, watching a rerun of Mythbusters, MB proved this to be impossible, and so he was freed.
Zmpp TIL Dave Matthews’ older sister, Anne, was murdered in 1994 by her husband, who later killed himself. Dave and his sister Jane then began to raise Anne’s kids.
v1bZ7 TIL "Ketchup" is a universal word, and is the same in a lot of languages.
oZZA TIL that Odin, a precursor to Santa Claus, rode Sleipnir, an Eight legged flying horse. In the winter, Odin gave out both gifts and punishments, and children would fill their boots or stockings with treats for Sleipnir.