› added 5 years ago

90

TIL Gerard Philips, founder of multinational Royal Philips now valued at 30+ billion dollars, was first cousin to Karl Marx.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

R88 TIL that Crocodiles, Alligators and Flounders have no finite life span, but continue to live forever unless affected by their environment.
ZQDY TIL of “Ubasute” a Japanese word which translates to “abandoning the old woman”. As the name implies, families would carry the elderly members of their family into the forest to be left to die of dehydration/starvation. It was done during periods of hardship to take the burden off of the family.
6EgMY TIL that Princess Pauline von Metternich and Countess Anastasia Kielmannsegg fought a topless duel with swords in August 1892 after arguing about flower arrangements. Baroness Lubinska, who had a medical degree, insisted they fight topless so clothing couldn’t get into a wound and cause sepsis.
ANg8o TIL The Bermuda Triangle is an urban legend. The idea of the area as uniquely prone to disappearances arose in the mid-20th century, but most reputable sources dismiss the idea that there is any mystery.
KYZjR TIL the fire horse is a Sexagenary (60 year) cycle in Japan which, according to a superstition, girls born in such a year will grow up to kill their husbands. Therefore, birthrates in Japan tend to see a sharp decline (e.g 25% decline in 1966 vs 1965). The next year of the fire horse is 2026