› added 2 years ago

122

TIL Julius Caesar was the first to declare Jan 01 a national holiday. He named the month after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gates. Janus had two faces, one looking forward and one looking back

OobWR TIL that Kalawao County, Hawaii is the smallest county in the US in terms of land size (12 sq. mi. of land) and one of the least populated (approx. 90 people). It was a quarantine settlement for people with Hansen's Disease (leprosy).
LkyWZ TIL Betty Ford upon leaving the White House as the First Lady, she took off her shoes and jumped upon the Cabinet room table. The photographer promised not to release the photo until she passed. He kept his promise and released the photo days after she passed.
lyl5 TIL that in 1997, 14 year old Nathan Zohner was able to get 43 out of 50 of his classmates to vote to ban “Dihydrogen Monoxide” for his science fair project. His project aimed to prove that the use of true facts can lead the ignorant public to false conclusions. He won first prize.
dD5BB TIL about Strange Face Illusions: a psychological phenomenon where when looking at your own reflection in dim lighting, you'll see someone totally different or otherwise your face will be distorted
l9OG TIL that in 1889 a dam owned by an exclusive hunting and fishing club gave way, causing a flood that killed 2,209 people in southern Pennsylvania. The club’s members included many of the richest men in America and efforts to hold it legally responsible went nowhere