› added 6 years ago

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TIL: Many of the Space Shuttles parts were produced exclusively by small mom and pop shops. When the shuttle retirement was announced, a lifetime buy of parts was made — when the Shuttle retired, the mom and pop shops retired with it.

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GAgj1 TIL side saddle horseback riding was started ‘as a way for women to ride horses, while protecting their virginity and modesty’
QNv96 TIL about Bummer and Lazarus, two stray dogs that roamed the streets of San Francisco in the early 1860s. Recognized for their unique bond and their prodigious rat-killing ability, they became a fixture of city newspapers, were exempted from local ordinances, and immortalized in cartoons.
7rpZb TIL about "one of the biggest companies you've never heard of". Acxiom gathers information on some 700 m people, with up to 1,500 data points per person, for ultra targeted marketing. Down to the list of people who buy particular brands of cereal in your local supermarket.
VMRl0 TIL Fausta (2nd wife of Roman Emperor Constantine) fell in love with the Emperor's son. He refused her advances. She accused him of making advances. Emperor had his son murdered. Fausta was later rumoured to have had an affair with a slave. Emperor realised his mistake and had her boiled alive.
rN4Mx TIL that a "Silent Man" in the UK repeatedly gets arrested for standing on a certain road to block traffic. He never speaks a word, not even to the court or his own lawyer. Everytime he is released, he repeats the crime and remains completely silent.