› added 9 years ago

868

TIL that “Here Be Dragons” is the “Beam Me Up Scotty” / “Play It Again, Sam” of cartography. The phrase doesn’t actually appear on any old maps.

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EW8X TIL a portion of the “snow” seen on television screens is microwave radiation left over from The Big Bang.
GYmlJ TIL there was a Wisconsin Civil War regiment made up of almost entirely Norwegian immigrants. Out of roughly 1000 men, 128 were named Ole, 75 had the last name Olsen, and 15 were named Ole Olsen.
6E8xW TIL Count Juan Raphael Dante, a director of the US Karate Association until 1962, didn't like the focus on ceremony, tradition, and protocol, over "effectiveness", so he created the "Dance of Death" system, taught in a mail-order booklet, World's Deadliest Fighting Secrets, advertised in comic books
j68jn TIL that Mozart taught his pet starling bird how to play the opening of his Piano Concerto Number 17, K 453.
5VYmR TIL scientists identified a thought to be extinct plant with aphrodisiac and contraceptive properties. The mythical plant, used widely by most ancient Mediterranean cultures, was found 2000 km away from its last place of sight.