› added 4 years ago

84

TIL The origins of Jackalopes (mythical horned rabbits) were likely due to sightings of rabbits infected with Shope papilloma virus which causes keratinous horn-like growths

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

BgZQd TIL The first Papal visit to a mosque was in May 2001. Pope John Paul II took off his shoes and entered the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, to visit the tomb of John the Baptist (who is called Yah-ya el-Mamadan by Muslims).
JYNOv TIL that in 2004, Scientology embarked on a top-secret project which involved finding a girlfriend for Tom Cruise.
4DMR TIL with the cost of $367 Billion, a nuclear pulse powered interstellar spaceship can be built with 1968 technology to reach Alpha Centauri in 133 years; Achieving a top speed of 3.3% speed of light.
l7enK TIL that in 1967 a referendum was held in Gibraltar asking citizens to decide whether to pass under Spanish sovereignty; 2 people out of 12,233 voted yes
oNQY TIL the idiom “Turning a blind eye” is attributed to Admiral Horatio Nelson who, in the midst of battle and given the permission to retreat by his superior, lifted the telescope to his eye (blinded from an earlier injury) and said “I really do not see the signal” and pressed on with the attack.