› added 6 years ago

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TIL United Feature Syndicate responded positively to a comic strip featuring a side character with a stuffed animal. They asked the creator to develop a strip around these characters but ultimately rejected it for lacking in marketing potential. The strip was Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson.

Wkvp9 TIL In 2016 the UK ran a 3 day exercise to simulate how it would cope in the event of a pandemic, showing it wasn't prepared for one. The Government was urged to make changes, but ignored them
b6rGQ TIL in 1818, an Englishman accused of murder demanded a trial by combat. Surprisingly, the law that allowed for trial by combat was still valid, and the man was acquitted when his accuser declined the offer of battle. Trial by combat was abolished the following year.
QJVvL TIL that despite being a cliche, only one historical map actually uses the phrase "Here Be Dragons". The Hunt-Lenox Globe from 1504, one of the oldest globes in existence, uses the phrase on the east coast of Asia. It is believed to have been inspired by tales of Komodo Dragons from Indonesia.
D7Wj TIL that the purchase of Alaska from Russia by the U.S. was originally mocked by U.S. citizens, who called it “Andrew Johnson’s polar bear garden”
J1A7k Today I learned that youtuber SkyCorp Home Video(who's known for making parody vhs videos) had a brother named Charles who sadly died from suicide. A video of him and his brother in bath tub from 1996 was uploaded by their mother