› added 8 months ago

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TIL that Japanese death row inmates are executed by hanging. Three prison officers simultaneously press buttons to open the trap door so it is not clear which one is responsible.

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via reddit.com

rR1Vw TIL In 1998 a group of cattle ranchers sued Oprah after she made disparaging comments about beef and 13 states have food libel laws which allows companies to sue people who speak badly about their food.
8Gjb TIL There is a day in Russia called “Procreation day” Russians are allowed to skip work in order to have sex and if they give birth 9 months later they are rewarded with prizes such as a washing machine.
7rbwL TIL upon sending his son, who worried about his ability to hold his own amid experienced and eminent statesmen and diplomats, to the negotiation that would lead to the Peace of Westphalia, a Swedish statesman famously told him:"Do you not know, my son, with how little wisdom the world is governed?"
lDgV TIL in 1905, President Teddy Roosevelt threatened to ban football completely, unless the sport shaped up and outlawed moves like throttling and eye-gouging.
Ypm1v TIL in spring of 1942 German U-boats terrorized east coast of US sinking fuel tankers and cargo ships with impunity and often within sight of shore and in less than 7 months destroyed 22 percent of the tanker fleet and sank 233 ships killing 5,000 ...more than 2X number who perished at Pearl Harbor.