› added 5 years ago

82

Today I learned that the first competitive motor race was held in 1894 and was over a distance of 126km from the French cities of Paris to Rouen

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

EgY67 TIL that there was a "dancing plague" in 1518 that killed upwards of 400 people in Strasbourg.
eQE6 TIL the latin word “vagina” means “sheath”… i.e. the cover for a sword
YPWA TIL In 1818, an Englishman was accused of murder claimed the right to trial by combat. To everyone’s surprise, the law granting him that right was still valid, and he was acquitted when his accuser declined to appear on the “field of honor.” Trial by combat was abolished the next year.
x6kLb TIL Americans eat 3 billion pizzas per year and spend $38 billion annually on pizza. The average American also eats an average of 46 slices of pizza per year which amounts to consuming 23 pounds of pizza annually
VBGeB TIL studies have found that in Africa and parts of Asia, people with schizophrenia typically report hearing kind and playful voices as opposed to the violent and cruel voices heard by those in Western societies...