› added 1 year ago

92

TIL that at one point the sales of vodka accounted for 1/3rd of the Russian national budget.

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nWGYG TIL The Strauss–Howe Generational Theory. The Theory states that a crisis recurs in American history after every saeculum (85 years), which is followed by a recovery. 85 years ago was the invasion of Poland and the beginning of WW2.
Zpydv TIL that the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang had nothing to do with the sound of the car. Originally named after a powerful laxative, official of the race said no. So, an inocuous name was chosen. The name was slang for a military overnight pass, activities that followed.
e5rk TIL that during WWI, Harry Houdini threw himself into the war effort, selling war bonds and teaching American soldiers how to free themselves from German handcuffs.
7rjPr TIL after executing the royal Romanov family the Cheka gathered up distant relatives and threw them down the same mine shaft they put the royal family. Many people didn't die so they used grenades to finish them off. When that didn't work they put brushwood down the shaft and lit it on fire.
R7Ng9 TIL The Inuit people of northern Greenland had many metal knives and tools despite having no mines or smelting: they used enormous iron meteorites for their metal which American explorer Robert E. Peary ultimately stole.