› added 12 years ago

105

TIL South Africa developed nuclear weapons and then dismantled them for the sake of peace.

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l4oN TIL the Brontosaurus once was considered to have never existed but has recently been declared to have actually existed. It was thought to have been in the same genus as the Apatosaurus but recent discoveries have separated the two as distinct
gMVRX TIL the last country to abolish slavery was Mauritania in 1981 (but the practice continues openly to this day)
Opwe TIL: In case of a threat, Switzerland has over 3000 demolition points where bridges can be demolished remotely and landslides can cause certain roads to be blocked off.
obDY TIL that bread did not exist in Japan until 1543, when it was brought to the archipelago by Portuguese missionaries. The new food was initially popular, but disappeared once the country cut ties with the west. It would not be eaten again until the 19th century.
dDZpr TIL Edgar Allen Poe was inspired to write his famous poem 'The Raven' by an actual, taxidermized raven that was once owned by Charles Dickens. it is now on display in the the Free Library of Philadelphia.