› added 12 years ago

776

TIL that just before boarding the vessel that he was attacking, Blackbeard would take slow burning fuse matches and, with bright red ribbon, tie them in his hair and beard. When lit, these smoking matches gave him the appearance of the Devil.

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659J TIL that Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte secured the release of over 30,000 prisoners from Nazi concentration camps only to be assassinated by Israeli terrorists
4Xrw6 TIL Alcohol's measurement is coined "proof" because, during the 1500s, England would increase taxes on drinks containing a higher percentage of alcohol. They would measure this is by soaking gunpowder in the alcohol and trying to ignite it. If it ignited, this was "proof" that it had a high content.
kVO5 TIL a Chinese beggar whose hands were ruined in an explosion spent a decade designing a new type of two-handed calligraphy. The result was so impressive that China’s largest font maker gave him a design contract with 50 years of royalties and helped to get him off the streets.
M7oaK TIL about a two billion-year-old naturally occuring U235 nuclear reactor in Gabon, where unique geological conditions created a sustained nuclear reactor for 100,000 years
d8aJj TIL Alcatraz's reputation as a tough as nails prison was a Hollywood myth. Many inmates requested transfer there on account of its good food and one man per cell policy.