› added 12 years ago

107

TIL that TASER is short for ‘Thomas A Swift’s Electric Rifle’

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gMXo4 TIL the Thanksgiving Turkey presented to the U.S. President each year was originally intended to be slaughtered for the White House Thanksgiving dinner-- It was George H.W. Bush that established the currently ongoing tradition of presenting the turkey with a Presidential Pardon, sparing its life.
J4n8 TIL in Viking culture, everyone got together to make laws and settle disputes. They called it the “Thing”
M7wZV TIL the film "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946) was based on a book called "The Greatest Gift", which itself was based on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
R5Bk7 TIL that, at one point in time, the Habsburg monarchy (predecessor of Austria-Hungary) occupied the territory of today's Belgium.
78WpL TIL octopuses don’t have tentacles, they have arms. Tentacles only have suction cups on the end, while octopus arms have them along the entire length.