› added 11 years ago

148

TIL that during the 19th century, spiral staircases were installed in firehouse’s to keep the horses from climbing up into the living quarters. These staircases slowed down response time, which led to a new invention: the fireman’s pole.

Read more ehow.com

via reddit.com

5Y6Ak TIL the last Civil War Veteran lived until 1956, at the age of 106.
xgwg TIL Woody Allen has consistently refused to attend the Oscars or acknowledge his Oscar wins. His publicly given reason is his standing engagement to play clarinet in a Monday night ensemble.
KdbB TIL the Bikini Atoll’s flag is similar to the USA flag, with black stars representing islands destroyed by nuclear testing, to serve as a reminder of the debt the US still owes them for nuclear fallout and radiation poisoning.
Ayod TIL that knowing he was the slowest competitor, Australian speed skater Steven Bradbury won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics by cruising behind and simply avoiding group crashes in both the semi-final and final
QNvXX TIL During the Truman reconstruction of the White House, a souvenir program was authorized. It allowed members of the public to order old pieces of the building such as timbers, bricks, facing stones, and paneling. Demand exceeded initial expectations and receipts exceeded expenses by $10,000.