› added 10 years ago

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TIL: The air in Beijing is so polluted that breathing it does as much damage to the lungs as smoking 40 cigarettes a day.

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via reddit.com

J1Qgk TIL Dollar comes from the Dutch "Daalder" and was imported by the Spanish & the $ comes from the F of Florence, Italy, where the bills were printed. (Read the article, it is really interesting)
VM9RZ TIL the inventor of the bikini had to hire strippers to model it on the fashion runway because women used to recognize bikinis as underwear
k9QW TIL famous personal trainer/body builder Greg Plitt died earlier this year while filming a commercial for ‘No Fear’ energy drinks. He reportedly assumed a runner’s stance on the tracks as the train approached, and attempted to out-sprint the speeding train to show the effectiveness of the drink.
Eg4XX TIL that after the Goliad Campaign in which Mexican forces defeated the Texian Army, an order came down to massacre the Texans. Mexican General José de Urrea who was responsible for defeating the Texans, was strongly opposed to the massacre but was ignored.
Med1B TIL in medieval England, they stacked scones, cookies, and buns as high as possible for weddings. The bride and groom would then try to kiss over this stack of pastries. If they kissed without making it fall, it was believed the couple would have good fortune.