› added 4 years ago

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TIL: John Paul II (pope from 1978-2005) was the first non-Italian to be elected to the papacy since Adrian VI (1522-1523, and the only pope to have been born in the Netherlands.) Neither of John Paul II's succesors has been Italian.

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via reddit.com

XPP6 TIL in LOTR Elrond and Aragorn were distantly related through Elrond’s brother, Elros
4ZOa TIL that the US Secret Service was originally formed to combat counterfeit currency. It wasn’t until 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley, that their responsibilities broadened to presidential protection.
rNXXW TIL that hippos can sleep submerged in the water and come to the surface to breathe without waking up.
W7xy8 TIL Independence Day scenes were filmed in Rachel, Nevada in front of the Little A’Le’Inn in 1996. This led to a movement to officially name the stretch of highway between Alamo and Tonopah the “Extraterrestrial Highway,” giving Rachel’s title as the UFO Capital of the World
LNnP TIL that what I have always known as “the wave” (as in a crowd) is called a “Mexican Wave” just about everywhere outside of America.