› added 2 days ago

TIL that Listerine was sold as a surgical disinfectant, a cure for dandruff, a floor cleaner, a hair tonic, a deodorant, and as a "beneficial remedy" for diseases ranging from diphtheria and dysentery to small pox and gonorrhea.

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NAv8 TIL by the time of the french revolution, only 50% of the population of France could speak any French and less than 25% spoke it as a native language.
awL10 TIL That many Dutch people have ridiculous names (Poepjes = little shit, Borst = breast, Naaktgeboren = born naked) because they didn't use last names until Napoleon invaded, and the Dutch didn't take the French seriously. So they registered stupid names as a joke - but they stuck!
v1y58 TIL that after being faced with budget problems during the filming of Titanic, James Cameron offered to give up his share of future profits but the studio didn't accept his offer as they believed it was an empty gesture because the film would have no profit
VBLdk TIL that among NYC attractions, Grant’s Tomb consistently drew more visitors than the Statue of Liberty in the 1890s and early 1900s.
P1EGe TIL that 10,000 people were involved in the construction of the World Trade Center (c.1965-66 1972) and that 60 people were killed in construction accidents while it was being built. During their lifetimes the towers were host to the birth of 17 babies and 19 murders.