› added 5 years ago

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TIL that the Soviets told the inventor of the Theremin that "electricity is not good for music; electricity is to be used for electrocution" and then fired him

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b9bY4 TIL about reminders by association
XE7OE TIL that Luciano Pavarotti’s childhood dream was to become a professional football goalkeeper, but his mother convinced him to train as a teacher.
nWEyb TIL that on 9/11, an estimated 500,000 people were evacuated from Lower Manhattan on ferries, yachts and charter boats, making it the largest water evacuation in history.
a87vb TIL the Passemant astronomical clock in Versailles has shown the correct date, time, moon phase, planetary alignment, etc (accounting for leap years ) from 1750 and can display through 9999.
wddE TIL that the Grand Mosque in Paris, under Si Kaddour Benghabrit, saved hundreds of Jews during WW2 by granting them fake papers and allowing them to hide in the catacombs beneath the mosque.