› added 1 year ago

43

TIL that in 1979, the Shah of Iran threw one of the most expensive parties in history, with some cost estimates being over $100 million. It was attended by nearly all royal families, dignitaries & presidents. The example of extravagance was used by the islamic revolutionaries to overthrow the Shah.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

KOw9a TIL a fundamental limit exists on the amount of information that can be stored in a given space: about 10^69 bits per square meter. Regardless of technological advancement, any attempt to condense information further will cause the storage medium to collapse into a black hole.
R58Gj TIL Jaywalking laws vary dramatically from country to country. In most countries crossing outside of designated a crosswalk is illegal (atleast when one is available). In some countries like India and the UK it is only illegal if one obstructs traffic. The Netherlands has no concept of jaywalking.
jN1kp TIL: The original voice actors for the Red and Yellow M&M characters were Jon Lovitz and John Goodman. The current voice actors are Futurama alum Billy West and Academy Award winner JK Simmons
KYVxJ TIL That in 1986 United Way released 1.5 million balloons in Cleveland, which resulted in clogged waterways and an airport being shutdown.
BgRNW TIL while working on a heart rhythm recording device, Wilson Greatbatch mistakenly installed the wrong resistor, causing the device to emit electrical pulses instead - leading to the invention of the implantable pacemaker.