› added 10 years ago

95

TIL New Amsterdam was given to the Duke of York in 1664 as an 18th birthday present from his father. He then renamed the city New York.

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wLEA1 TIL that when dashboard lights were first used in cars they were called "idiot lights" because drivers were frustrated by the warning lights used in place of gauges, making it more difficult to detect issues early since they only activated after one occurred.
Y5dd TIL when a cell phone rang in a NY courtroom, the judge said that unless it was turned over to him he would arrest everyone in the court. When it wasn’t, he jailed all 70 who were present. He later lost his job.
9wwA7 TIL that the phrase ‘involuntary celibate’ was coined by Alana, a ‘nerdy queer woman’ who had never been on a date, and who wanted a name for her loneliness and the loneliness of others like her.
p8x94 TIL that Former presidents of the United States are not allowed to drive a vehicle, except on private roads. They have to be accompanied by Secret Service and a driver for the rest of their lives. This measure was taken for security reasons following the assassination of JFK.
YpPvB TIL Alan Rickman's final role was narrating a tortoise eating a strawberry