› added 6 years ago

88

TIL that Adolphe Sax (Inventor of the saxophone) survived a three story fall, a gunpowder explosion, drinking a bowl of sulfuric water, a near-poisoning due to furniture varnish, and falling into a speeding river - all before the age of nine. His neighbors called him "Little Sax, the ghost"

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

4XwOJ TIL that Queen Elizabeths grandfather, King George V, was euthanized by his physician. The physician wrote in his journal that he euthanized the King so that his death would be announced in the morning newspapers, rather than the "less appropriate evening journals".
OoOY4 TIL Johannes Gutenberg introduced the moveable type printing method to Europe, kickstarting the Printing Revolution and enabling the rise of revolutionary ideas like Martin Luther's 95 Theses.
1am8W TIL about Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-Georges, born in 1745. He was the first Black composer of the classical era, conductor of the leading symphony orchestra in Paris, and a champion fencer. He has been referred to as “Black Mozart”
wvM7 TIL Because Elizabeth II is the Queen of 16 independent and legally distinct monarchies she is the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 10th and 12th longest currently reigning monarch in the world
Oo5p6 TIL that Volvo invented the three-point seatbelt, then gave the invention away for free. They decided it was too important of an invention to keep to themselves.