› added 2 months ago

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TIL that in 1720, the House of Savoy traded the rich island of Sicily for the poorer Sardinia under pressure from European powers. Though a downgrade in land, it let them keep their royal title—setting the stage for their descendants to later control all of Italy.

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l7vB7 TIL scientists from Newcastle University discovered that honeybees become 'pessimistic' after being shaken vigorously for 60 seconds.
D9WY TIL that after the 1991 START I treaty between the US and the USSR, the US chopped 365 B52 bombers into 5 pieces each using a 13,000lb steel blade dropped from a crane. It then left the pieces there for 3 months so that Russian satellites could verify their destruction.
X09lE TIL: The owner of Pakistan's largest bank started as a cash and carry and now owns Bargain Booze
nepZP TIL trees can stimulate cloud production in order to cool down by producing substances known as monoterpenes
wo6D6 TIL that a full-time banker played at the 2010 World Cup. New Zealand's Andrew Barron featured as a substitute in their match against Italy, becoming the first non-professional footballer to participate in the tournament