› added 11 years ago

60

TIL salt was so important throughout human history that the word ‘salary’ derives from the Latin word salārium, referring to money given to soldiers so they could buy salt.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

woXBJ TIL dandelions were called pissabeds due to their diuretic content.
AAj7 TIL that a 1997 poll showed that Americans thought NASA’s funding accounted for 20% of the federal budget. In fact, NASA has received one cent or less per every tax dollar since 1975. Currently, they receive a $.005 cents per dollar.
y7ge TIL Monty Python’s Life of Brian was mainly financed by George Harrison after EMI withdrew their funding. Harrison put up the money for it as he “wanted to see the movie” (this was later described by Terry Jones as the “world’s most expensive cinema ticket”).
KabQ TIL of Perotine Guernsey, a pregnant woman burned as a heretic in 1556; during the burning she delivered her son, who was rescued from the fire only to be thrown back in by order of the magistrate.
yVyMv TIL In some places in history counterfeitting coins was punishable with being boiled alive in oil