› added 8 years ago

73

TIL that “Nigerian Prince” style scams began in the 1980s via postal mail, with letters addressed to women’s husbands asking what to do with multi-million dollar investments hidden in Nigeria. The spread of email lowered the costs and increased the effectiveness of these scams.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

xJBw TIL of a serial killer, the Doodler, who targeted gay men in 1970’s San Francisco. He would sketch his victims nude before murdering them. Though 3 victims survived, and a suspect was identified, none were willing to “out” themselves in open court in order to convict the suspect.
6EA4Z TIL A bunch of kids Died during the lychee season because they would eat nothing afterwards. Turns out, lychees contain a deadly toxin that kills if not taken with other food.
RnVQ TIL The children of the Moken people in Thailand and Burma are able to see clearly underwater due to their sea-based culture.
BaLy TIL that Lego is an adjective and is not meant to be a standalone name, therefore the plural of Lego is Lego bricks.
gMZe4 TIL burning incense sticks causes lung irritation and can lead to mutations in bacterial cultures. Despite not being on par with cigarette smoke, incense smoke is much worse than other scented alternatives.