› added 5 years ago

72

TIL that the United Kingdom actually declared war on Japan nine hours before the the United States following the attack on Pearl harbour, partially due to Winston Churchill's promise to declare war "within the hour" of a Japanese attack on the United States.

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GYJmg TIL that "spinster" meant a woman so good at weaving, she became financially independent, not needing a husband
drwE TIL Queen Victoria was fluent in Urdu and Hindi.
nedkW TIL about The Battle for Castle Itter, near the end of WWII, which saw US soldiers, French POWs, and renegade German soldiers fighting on the same side to hold the castle against an SS tank division.
negKP TIL the french numbers is a blend of the decimal system of cont, used in Roma, and the vigesimal system of count, used by the Celtics, and it became official only in the century 17
VMpB TIL A man named Dominic Owen Mallary always said he wanted Andrew W.K. to play during his funeral. So when he died in 2008 Andrew W.K. went to the wake, and played classical piano the entire time after paying his respects.