› added 12 years ago

113

TIL there is no evidence that iron maidens were invented in the Middle Ages or even used for torture. Instead they were pieced together in the 18th century from several artifacts found in museums in order to create spectacular objects intended for (commercial) exhibition.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

neXG7 TIL 5 teenagers died after a fire in escape rooms in Poland. Poland’s interior minister then ordered fire safety inspections at more than 1,000 escape room locations across the country. Previously, there was no official requirement for fire safety certificates at such locations.
QNLZd TIL that during WW2, the US government confiscated brass decor from theaters to use in the war effort. The Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago painted all of their brass white to hide it from the government. The brass was then forgotten about until a 1999 renovation.
JBOQ TIL the blue whale, weighing in at 170 tons, is way bigger than any dinosaur ever was and probably the largest known animal to have ever existed.
dDWxZ TIL cats can't be vegan or vegetarian. They are obligate carnivores, meaning their anatomy and physiology are designed to get the nutrients they need from animal tissues, not from plants.
vPYJK TIL that Ethan Allen's Green Mountain Boys, famous for the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga, was established to resist New York's attempts to reclaim their land. Allen and his settlers purchased NY-controlled land from New Hampshire. NY branded the settlers outlaws, who then trained to fight back.