› added 12 years ago

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TIL the World’s Greatest Living Explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, was thrown out of the SAS for blowing upa movie set, climbed Everest to get rid of his vertigo, did 7 marathons in 7 days a few months after heart bypass surgery, amputated his own fingers and was considered for the role of James Bond.

Read more ranulphfiennes.co.uk

via reddit.com

KYJAB TIL Rosebud wasn't revealed to be Charles Kane’s sled until the 40s
9wKGB TIL that Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, a Venetian noblewoman, was the first woman who earned the degree of "doctor of philosophy". However, Catholic church and the University of Padua refused to get a degree in theology, which she originally wanted. She died six years later.
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R50e7 TIL the Casino Estoril in Cascais, Portugal, was a source of inspiration for Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale" (1953), the fist James Bond novel.
ORY1 TIL that from 1902-1907, a group of 12 scientists regularly ate dangerous, common food additives that had previously been untested, such as formaldehyde, and documented how they reacted to said additives. They were known as “The Poison Squad,” and helped spur the creation of the FDA.