› added 4 years ago

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TIL there was a pandemic in the early 20th century that caused life-long stupor and Parkinsonism in survivors, with many sleeping during the day and waking at night. It resulted in the deaths of millions of people worldwide. Called "Sleeping Sickness", the causative agent has never been found.

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0d10p TIL the first recorded labor strike in history occurred in the 12th Century BCE in Ancient Egypt, when artisans tasked with building the necropolis (burial chambers) of King Ramses III struck repeatedly over insufficient rations
7rGmr TIL the hats worn by the band Devo are called "Energy Domes"
pgNp TIL: A Swiss couple in the Maldives paid £820 to have their their wedding vows renewed in the native Dhivehi language. When the wedding video was posted to YouTube, the subtitles revealed that the minister had actually been insulting them, calling them “infidels” and their children “bastard swine”.
l7n9V TIL at the end of the Top Gear US Special after arriving in New Orleans, the hosts gave their cars away instead of selling them as originally planned after seeing the damage from Hurricane Katrina
E1bAp TIL That face blindness is a thing and it sounds like it would be hell to live with. Basically people with it can't use faces to tell people apart, so they have to use other characteristics to tell who is who.