› added 11 years ago

198

TIL that what I have always known as “the wave” (as in a crowd) is called a “Mexican Wave” just about everywhere outside of America.

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8aWDX TIL Prince was 5’2″, or 157.5 cm tall and weighed 112 pounds, he often wore heels to combat his small size. His grand piano was even modified by shortening the legs so he could reach the pedals while sitting down to play.
rRRLW TIL that the government of Brazil attempted to transform the country into a major manufacturer of computers in the 1980s. The import of foreign computers was banned so that people would have to use Brazilian models, which were of inferior quality since the government spent very little money on R&D.
gMN09 TIL that a “thing” was a term used to describe a governing assembly in medieval Saxon and Viking cultures. A thing was presided over by law speakers, and free members of the community were called to attend.
4boo TIL that before about 1700, it was customary for people of European descent to bring their own spoons to the table. Spoons were carried as personal property in much the same way as people today carry wallets, key rings, etc
PKoE TIL the CIA used “weather modification” as a tactical weapon by increasing rains(cloud seeding) over Vietnam during the Vietnam War in order to slow Vietnamese military activity in the region.