› added 11 years ago

100

TIL contrary to popular belief, most people who are bitten by black widow spiders suffer no serious damage, let alone death.

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d8X7d TIL that skyscrapers are designed to last at least 500 years on average, and are engineered to withstand catastrophic weather events occurring once every 50 years
OQBa TIL there was a dutch man born in 1912, Mirin Dajo, who willingly had an actual sword thrust through his body multiple times without organ damage. He was taught this method by Indian mystics and performed it in public.
xV0Mg TIL Iran's Supreme Leader issued an order calling for the assassination of Salman Rushdie, a British writer accused of blaspheming Islam. While he was not killed, the Japanese translator of the book was murdered and two other translators survived murder attempts
Oo9y4 TIL that horses’ heights are usually measured in “hands” instead of “feet”
4gkJ TIL that in many countries Election Day is either on a Sunday or is considered a National Holiday, allowing for higher voter participation.