› added 4 years ago

249

TIL that applause was invented in 6th Century BC so that audiences had to clap in approval of their leader, since there were too many people to meet individually.

Read more theatreinparis.com

via reddit.com

WkdG9 TIL that Ultraviolet blood irradiation (UBI) was extensively used in the 1940s and 1950s to treat many diseases including septicemia, pneumonia, tuberculosis, arthritis, asthma and even poliomyelitis.
bOAp TIL Sean Connery was once pulled over and fined by a british police officer for speeding. The Officer’s name was Sergeant James Bond.
xVgRb TIL when Italy declared war on Ethiopia in violation of the League of Nations' policies, only Adolf Hitler sent support to Ethiopia
DM7V TIL when Paris fell to the Nazis in 1940, French soldiers cut the elevator cables to the Eiffel Tower. This meant that if Hitler wanted to hoist a swastika flag, they would have to climb hundreds of stairs to get to the top.
ADE4x TIL that the famous photo of the Soviet flag being raised during the Battle of Berlin in 1945 was actually doctored. Photographer Yevgeny Khaldei added smoke to make it seem more dramatic, and also removed one of two watches from a Senior Sergeant's wrist, as it would have implied looting.