› added 1 year ago

40

TIL that even though Winston Churchill's mother was a United States citizen, Churchill could not claim US citizenship because before 1934 you could not claim citizenship through your mother.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

GARQ7 TIL the original name for a zipper was "hookless fastener." The original patent for "Zipper" ONLY referred to a specific type of boots that utilized the hookless fastener.
5YG9p TIL about the Leap-The-Dips, the oldest operating roller coaster in the world. It was opened in 1902, and currently resides at Lakemont Park, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The coaster has a top speed of 10MpH.
wjdY TIL the Gripsholm castle in Sweden has a stuffed lion on display that was gifted to king Fredrik I in the 18th century. The taxidermist in charge had never seen a lion. Hilarity ensues.
JYYEQ The US Air Force’s scientific research wing is giving Lockheed Martin $26.3 million “for the design, development, and production of a high power (tens of kilowatts) fiber laser,” which it expects to start testing on a tactical fighter jet in four years.
EgrZW TIL that Soviet Marshal Georgy Zhukov refused to shake hands with one of the men who killed the Romanovs