› added 6 years ago

171

TIL Absalom, the son of King David, had public sex with ten of his father's concubines to prove his claim as the new king

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

JYJLl TIL of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, with only two citizens, it has been described as the smallest sovereign state in the world. It has Observer Status at the UN and has its own currency, passports, and postage stamps. It claims continuity from a crusader order over 900 years old.
WkojY TIL Anaxagoras (c 510-428 BC) was the first to correctly explain eclipses. He also theorized the Sun was a star and that stars were burning rocks but the other stars are too far away to feel their heat
nWB7 TIL Mount Everest may be the tallest mountain in the world, but Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest away from the centre of the earth
Lkddp TIL mosques built within 100 years of Muhammad's life are oriented to face toward the Jordanian city Petra, not Mecca. There is a dearth of archaeological evidence underneath Mecca.
8akP TIL that in rare cases, popping a pimple in the so-called “danger triangle” can lead to facial paralysis, brain infections/meningitis, and even death.