› added 11 years ago

917

TIL a couple invited the Queen to their wedding as a joke, and she turned up.

Read more bbc.com

via reddit.com

xVyEg TIL of Hy-Brasil, a phantom island said to lie in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland. Irish myths described it as cloaked in mist except for one day every seven years when it becomes visible. It is listed on several early maps, but still cannot be reached.
MkOK TIL that all expecting mothers in Finland can receive a “starter box” of baby clothes, bedding, nappies and toys from the government for free. The bedding fits the box so you can use it as a crib.
1O7V TIL Elephants skeletal structuring is not designed to carry weight on their backs, but rather weight from below. Many Elephants end up with deformed and broken backs as a result of years of long hours spent carrying tourists around.
6EgXw TIL that in 1975, Australia had a government shutdown over their budget. The Prime Minister and all of Parliament was fired, forcing them to restart from scratch. They haven't had a shutdown since.
74vX TIL that Jim Crow-era “Literacy Tests” were frequently not even legitimate tests of reading skills but instead were a series of incredibly confusing trick questions such as “Print the word vote upside down, but in the correct order.”