› added 12 years ago

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TIL that not only were there Kings and Popes in the Middle Ages, there were Antikings and Antipopes.

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jg4X TIL that in England darts was considered a game of chance until a 1908 court case where a local champion demonstrated that he could hit any number on the board the court requested. Following the demonstration, the judge found darts to be a game of skill.
5Yv6k TIL about Liam Ashley a 17 year old boy from New Zealand who had criminal charges pressed against him by his parents for using their car without permission. His parents denied bail so he would be sent to prison. While being transported in a prison van, He was attacked by a offender and killed.
XAd8 TIL that in 2008 in Afghanistan, a British Marine threw his back on a grenade and lived, and also saved lives of his patrol. His rucksack took the impact, and he was awarded with the Victoria Cross, the highest British military honor. He only suffered a nosebleed and a shock in the aftermath.
kOYp1 TIL: that the phrase ‘devil’s advocate’ comes from a medieval job title. The ‘advocatus diaboli’ was the guy tasked with coming up with counter arguments when a priest was nominated to be blessed or canonized.
6A8J TIL the largest known star (per wikipedia) UY Scuti is 5 billion times the size of the Sun. It would take 2.2 hours to cross its diameter at the speed of light.