› added 11 years ago

99

TIL, That a Mexican man who accidentally killed his cousin while drunk was sentenced to death by being buried with alive with the cousin whom he had killed.

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via reddit.com

x6kmB TIL: About João de Sá, a 15th century African slave who eventually became a court jester in Portugal and then a gentleman courtier. He was frequently mocked by other courtiers for his skin color, but he had the unique privilege of being the only one who can mock nobility without consequences.
1aZNr TIL that the US reached peak coal mining employment in 1923, when there were 883,000 coal miners employed in the US. Today, there are only 50,000 coal miners in the US. Nevertheless, the US produces about 50% more coal than it did 100 years ago.
NBm8 TIL that Tibetans have a gene mutation that may represent the strongest instance of documented evolution in humans.
AYjd TIL that Cheetahs were once classified as canines and it’s because their feet are more like dogs’ feet than cats’.
OoWva TIL that the jumping spider, Nefertiti, was launched to the ISS to observe if it could catch prey in microgravity. It succeeded in catching prey by learning to walk slowly, rather than leaping, as this species usually does. It survived reentry and readjusted to full gravity before its natural death.