› added 1 year ago

39

TIL the Byzantine Emperor had an elite personal guard (The Varangians) composed of Norsemen, Rus, and Anglo-Saxons who emigrated to Constantinople.

Read more worldhistory.org

via reddit.com

BrxkL TIL that Montana is the only US state to allow two people to marry each other without either of them being physically present at the wedding
nW6Md TIL the General Assembly building in New York is considered on extraterritorial land however in exchange for fire and police protection, they agrees to adhere to follow most federal, state and local laws.
56Bk TIL During WWII German General Hans Speidel ignored Hitler’s order to bombard Paris before being arrested for a plot to assassinate Hitler. 12 years later he was appointed the Supreme Commander of NATO and given headquarters at the Palace of Fontainebleau in Paris.
6bxw TIL a lack of toilets costs India more than $50 billion a year, mostly through premature deaths and hygiene-related diseases.
8alrK TIL during filming of Gangs of New York, they built what was essentially a full scale complete replica of the Five Points in 1800's New York. According to the DVD commentary, George Lucas visited the set and explained that CGI effects would be much cheaper but Scorsese insisted on authenticity.