› added 11 years ago

104

TIL that the symbol @ possibly has its origins in the 6th century AD when monks adopted it as an abbreviation of the word “ad” - Latin for “at”.

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via reddit.com

nW7xr TIL Holding in a fart can make it leak out of your mouth when exhaling
NXVbb TIL that the Brazilian village of Candido Godoi, 7k inhabitants mostly of German descent, have the greatest birth rate of twins in the world (1/5 births). Some believe it is the result of genetic experiments of nazi medic Mengele, notorious for his obsession with creating an Aryan race.
XWa6 TIL the difference between herbs and spices: herbs come from the leaf of a plant, while spices come from other parts such as roots, bark and seeds. So cilantro is an herb (coriander leaf) while coriander is a spice (coriander seed).
0wWmv TIL that in 1919 James Cowan Smith donated £55,000 to the National Gallery of Scotland on the condition that a picture of his dog Callum be on display permanently in the Gallery. It still is to this day.
MervW TIL that James Buchanan, the 15th US president, continuously bought slaves with his own money in order to free them.