› added 5 years ago

294

TIL near the end of WWI, a small fortified town in France called Le Quesnoy was liberated from the Germans after four years of occupation, by New Zealand soldiers in a sneak attack, with zero civilian casualties. Multiple memorials and many of the town's streets are named in NZ's honour.

Read more nzherald.co.nz

via reddit.com

JBk4 TIL that Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy, managed to become one of Syria’s Prime Minister’s best friends. While “touring” the Golan Heights, he expressed concern that the soldiers guarding fortifications are exposed to too much sun and had trees planted, which the IDF used as targeting markers.
VMXN8 TIL in the popcorn industry, two shapes of kernels are commercially important. "Butterfly" kernels are light and fluffy, their many appendages absorbing butter and salt well. "Mushroom" kernels are typically much sturdier then the butterfly ones, and are often used in making confectionery popcorn.
Ae7a TIL that Americans have worse teeth and fewer teeth than the British, stereotypes aside
6orZ TIL that Japan’s Hitashi Seaside Park covers an area of 190 hectares with 4.5 million flower blossoms. Come spring, the Nemophila seeds create a landscape of perpetual blue.
V0Z8 TIL that upon his second defeat to Alexander the Great, King Darius III of Persia offered Alexander 30,000 talents (780 tons of silver, worth around £500,000,000 today) as part of an unconditional surrender. Alexander refused and proceeded to conquer Persia and rule all the way up to the Himalayas.