› added 5 years ago

83

TIL of Hall-of-Fame pitcher Rube Waddell, who despite his skill, would chase after fire trucks in the middle of games, be easily distracted by opposing fans holding puppies or shiny objects, and performed as an alligator wrestler during the off-season.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

yQ4Zv TIL that when Samuel Fuller left Hollywood to fight in WW2, he refused offers for desk jobs and instead enlisted as an infantryman, saw heavy fighting, and even liberated a concentration camp. Returning home with a Silver Star, he became one of the most influential filmmakers of all time.
nKeY TIL Facebook’s mobile app discretely eavesdrops on your conversations using your phone’s mic to “serve you a better experience”
YpQbB TIL that Sherlock Holmes had never once said “Elementary, My Dear Watson”. Apparently it’s very common for famous literary characters to have false catchphrases attaches to their names.
wLZp8 TIL that Tenzing Norgay, one of the first two men who reached Mount Everest, didn't know when his exact birthday was. After his ascent of Everest on 29 May 1953, he decided to celebrate his birthday on that day thereafter.
8a0pZ TIL The Berlin Wall was not the border between East and West Germany. The City of Berlin was in the middle of East Germany but had several zones controlled by the Western Allies.