› added 4 years ago

63

TIL that author H. G. Wells was a pioneer in miniature wargaming. In 1913 he published Little Wars, a rulebook for playing out battles using toy soldiers.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

9w5Xr TIL The Brandtaucher, a precursor to the German U-boat built in 1851, sank 60 feet to the bottom of Kiel harbor following equipment failure during a test dive. The three occupants were able to escape afterwards by letting water in, thus increasing the air pressure and allowing the hatch to open.
LkGJ0 TIL The 18th century “Old Grapevine Tavern” in New York City was a popular hangout of Union officers and Confederate spies. Lawyers, politicians, actors, and artists would meet there. It was the ideal place to spread rumors & gossip, leading to the popular phrase “heard it through the grapevine”.
KolQ TIL Stalin’s body double was teased in school because of the resemblance with Stalin
nL9Y TIL George de Hevesy dissolved the Nobel Prizes of James Franck (1925) and Max von Laue (1925) in acid to prevent the Nazis from confiscating them in 1940. After the war, he precipitated the gold and The Nobel Society recast the medals with the original material, presenting them to Franck and Laue.
5YO0R TIL in 1976, the team studying a newly-identified virus in Africa didn't want to name it after the village where it was found, so they named it after the closest river they could see on a map, which was the Ebola River.