› added 4 years ago

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TIL that many languages from northwestern Europe all the way to southern Asia and India, including English, Greek, and Sanskrit, are all descended from a common language called Proto-Indo-European, which is believed to have been spoken in what is today southwestern Russia between 7500 and 4500 BC.

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wn5o TIL a school headmaster in Britain had to resign after he announced the retirement of a teacher using acrostic writing, where the first letters of each word spell out a hidden message. His statement began “We all now know every really great teacher has to finish one day…”, spelling out ‘wanker’.
5g4r TIL that Bagpipes, haggis, kilts, whisky and tartan all originate from outside of Scotland
BrGad TIL that Canada didn't burn the White House, rather it was British troops fresh from warring Napoleon's Army, stationed in Bermuda, who set fire to Washington DC.
D1eVP TIL that the cast and crew of It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia had no idea that they'd been nominated for a People's Choice Award until after they'd won it.
4XodX TIL that pipelines are internally maintained via "PIGS" (Pipeline Inspection Gauges), which perform cleaning, inspection and other maintenance operations. The PIG is inserted via a "pig launcher" and removed via a "pig catcher."