› added 6 years ago

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TIL that a suicide bombers plan to blow herself up on New Year’s Eve was thwarted by a spam “Happy New Year” text message from her cell phone provider which prematurely detonated her explosive in her safe house.

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via reddit.com

E1REW TIL: The currency US-Dollar is indirectly named after the Czech town Jáchymov. The town's German name is Joachimsthal and the coins produced here were called "Thaler". The Dutch called those coins "Daler", which then later turned into "Dollar".
9YLgG TIL about Ben Carlin, a badass Aussie who is the only person to have circumnavigated the entire globe in a single amphibious vehicle. The trek took 10 years to accomplish.
D1x0V TIL during the Tehran Conference, Stalin proposed over a dinner the execution of 50,000 to 100,000 German officers to prevent Germany from starting another war. Roosevelt, thinking Stalin was joking, said "49,000 would be enough." Churchill however was so enraged he stormed out of the room.
NNBN TIL that the Soviet Union had a children’s program at 8:30 every weeknight that would end with a lullaby at 9:00 telling kids it’s time to go to bed. This program still airs to this day in Russia.
R5pD4 TIL about Jeanne de Clisson, a noblewoman who became a privateer to avenge her husband after he was executed for treason by the French King Philip VI. She crossed the English Channel targeting French ships. It was her practice to leave at least one sailor alive to carry her message of vengeance.