› added 11 years ago

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TIL if you are an American who finds bird shit on an island not under another countries’ jurisdiction, you may claim that island for America.

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via reddit.com

QJ87a TIL that in 2007, China executed the head of the State Food and Drug Administration (Chinese FDA) for accepting bribes and approving unsafe medicines.
j6Rnn TIL that Sharivari, the title of the 1981 proto-techno cult classic by A Number of names, refers to a European and North American folk custom designed to shame a member of the community. A mock parade would be staged through the settlement accompanied by a discordant mock serenade ("rough music").
PY7mJ TIL that the male koala has a forked penis, and the female koala has 2 vaginas (3 when pregnant).
e0Y1E TIL Ikea products are not given names like “white table” just in Swedish. They are actually given the names of people, cities, etc. It’s the equivalent of entering a Home Depot and buying a lamp named Steve and a desk named New York.
0dgMA TIL 601 Lexington Avenue—once the 7th-tallest building in the world—was in danger of being toppled over by high winds due to a structural error. It was secretly fixed and the public had no idea anything was wrong until an article about it came out decades later.