› added 10 years ago

180

TIL the daughters of Nicholas II were wearing so many diamonds when killed that they were partially protected from the bullets, delaying their deaths

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

KYXE4 Today I learned about the Dutch Disease (aka Resource Curse) where a nation is resource rich nations, through corruption and/or inefficiency, are incapable of turning the resources into economic growth.
X0Xnk TIL about New Zealand author Janet Frame was erroneously diagnosed with schizophrenia and scheduled for lobotomy. However, several days prior to the procedure, she was awarded New Zealand's most esteemed literary accolade, prompting doctors to cancel the operation.
Y4JB TIL the ancient greeks had a system where every citizen could vote to exile any politician for 10 years - ostracism.
krwg TIL that, in the 1908 Olympic flag parade in the UK, the American flag bearer refused to dip the American flag to King Edward VII.
9wJ1r TIL that in his 1905 Annual Address to Congress, President Theodore Roosevelt recommended that the then territories of New Mexico and Arizona be admitted as one single state. He explained that the territorial borders were just "matters of convenience" and should not be legally binding on admission.