› added 11 years ago

68

TIL the Eiffel Tower actually grows up to 5.9 inches due to heat expansion of the iron.

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evEb TIL in 1986, at the height of apartheid, Glasgow, Scotland changed the name of the square where the South African consulate-general was based to Nelson Mandela Place, forcing the South African attaché to have to write this address if they wanted to receive mail.
d8mD9 TIL originally, porcelain shipped from China to Europe was packed in tea to prevent breakages. By the late 18th century the demand for tea had grown so dramatically that instead, porcelain was shipped with tea to act as ballast
e0gaD TIL Halley's comet was depicted in the famous 11th century Bayeux Tapestry which recounts the story of Duke William the Bastard conquering England in 1066.
wLVOP TIL scientists have begun using the soot on feathers of birds in museum collections to track changes in air pollution over the last century. The specimens yield very precise data on black carbon levels.
RVY1 TIL Time Warner Cable significantly changes its offering depending on whether or not it has a monopoly on the market.