› added 11 years ago

96

TIL The ceremony of the keys at the Tower of London has gone on almost uninterrupted for 700 years. It was late once during WWII due to a number of bombs hitting the guard room, knocking the guards and Yeoman warder over. The officer in charge personally wrote a letter to the king to apologise.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

1aRDd TIL the Norse explorers of America described a native "warsling" that would fling sheep sized projectiles at enemies. Centuries later, linguists discovered the Algonkin people had an oral tradition of the same weapon their ancestors used to destroy ships.
jNDLn TIL that comedian Phyllis Diller's first television appearance was on Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life". She said she was transitioning from housewife to nightclub performer. She was soon a nationally known star, and Groucho always took great pride in her success.
nW4V9 TIL in 1940 Swedish cryptographer Arne Beurling deciphered the Nazi's T52, a machine more complex than Enigma. This way, the Swedes knew about Operation Barbarossa before it began. Since they wouldn't reveal how this knowledge was attained, their warning to the Soviets was not treated as credible
OGxja TIL that the British Royal Family are the largest landowners in the world. Followed by the Catholic Church and the Inuit People of Nunavut
wP6E TIL there exists an upside down stoplight in Syracuse, NY because in 1925, a group of local Irish youths refused to let the red light (Britain) to be above the green light (Ireland).