› added 12 years ago

151

TIL that people in Rome who wanted to kill themselves could apply to the Senate, and if their reasons were judged sound they were then given hemlock for free

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nWnWW TIL that in 1944, double agent Arabel/Garbo was awarded the German Iron Cross and, four months later, the Order of the British Empire Medal. Along with Lauri Törni, he is one of the few people to have received a military distinction from both the Axis and the Allies.
Z8L4p TIL even though Pluto has a larger surface area, the dwarf planet can fit within Russia’s borders
ovbR TIL Scientists are currently working on a substance that could give anybody the Spiderman ability of walking up walls and ceilings.
4kxgN TIL: Moths' eyes have a naturally anti-reflective nano-scale coating that helps with night sight and preventing predators from seeing light reflecting off their eyes
JYd7m TIL Sculptor Michelangelo had no experience painting frescoes and did not consider himself a painter when he reluctantly took the commission for the Sistine Chapel. He even wrote a poem about how much he hated doing it.