› added 1 year ago

57

TIL in 1933, Albert Einstein, who left Nazi Germany for the United States, suggested the formation of the International Relief Association. Now known as the International Rescue Committee (IRC), it has provided assistance to millions of refugees and displaced persons across some 40 countries.

Xnjr TIL that brilliant mathematician Paul Erdös took amphetamines daily to fuel his intensive work schedule. A concerned friend bet he couldn’t quit. He went cold turkey for 30 days to prove he wasn’t an addict and then started up again saying “you’ve set mathematics back by a month.”
E1gep TIL that the original manuscript of "120 Days of Sodom" was lost in the storming of the Bastille. Sade believed the work was lost forever and later wrote that he "wept tears of blood" over its loss.
XE7v8 TIL that over the past few years, 35 bicycles and 7 cars have been left aboard Washington State Ferries. The passengers boarded and forgot they rode/drove on and walked off. This can result in massive (and expensive) searches, in case the passenger went overboard.
nW4bd TIL almost no ticks and mites have faces. Instead, they have a gnathosoma, which is effectively a giant mouth. They need to rely on vibrations to perceive their environments and find hosts.
KO75G TIL that Mexican Singer Chalino Sánchez killed his sister’s abuser, fled to LA, and became famous. At one of his performances, he was handed a death threat, and was murdered shortly after.