› added 12 years ago

273

TIL the word awkward may be related to the Great Auk, a relative of the penguin. Which means socially awkward penguin just took on a whole new meaning to me.

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5nZ8 TIL that there is a Japanese urban legend about a spirit who haunts public bathrooms and will ask you if you want red or blue toilet paper.
WklBY TIL Empress Catherine the Great had an intimate relationship with philosopher Dennis Diderot. They had daily meetings talking politics and philosophy during which Diderot would make his points by slapping the monarch's thighs. She emerged from their meeting with her thighs "bruised and quite black"
vP1bR TIL Two brothers, when selling a failing ABA team, negotiated a buyout contract for a portion of the ABA's fledgling broadcasting rights with the NBA. This small deal would eventually cost the NBA about 800 million dollars over the course of 40 years.
PYZkn TIL that General Dwight Eisenhower wrote a letter before D-Day, accepting full responsibility in case the Allied invasion of Normandy failed
9Y8rD TIL of the Flint Effect. A result of cities being so delinquent in solving murders they appear to be beset by serial killers.