› added 12 years ago

154

TIL in the midst of the misery of the Great Depression and Prohibition, FDR signed legislation permitting the sale of some alcoholic beverages saying, “I think this would be a good time for a beer.”

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VnK8 TIL the only coup in the history of the United States took place in North Carolina in 1898. The plotters kidnapped the mayor of Wilmington and installed their own mayor.
e0G5L TIL of Arthur Stillwell, a young Kansas City entrepreneur who built over 3000 miles of railroad, and founded over 40 towns, and developed a way to to ship live oysters by train, all because the voices in his head told him to.
Bgbyr TIL: The MEDUSA weapon was created in 2004 and designed to incapacitate crowds of people using auditory pulses. It was purchased by SNC which had contracts with the DoD and Navy. However in 2008 SNC claims the weapon was discontinued as it may cause permanent brain damage.
wolXJ TIL that having anal sex can make female infertile :)
nwAb TIL a bonobo named Kanzi once asked for “fire” and “marshmallows” using lexigrams while on a hike in the woods. His trainer gave him matches and some marshmallows and he broke twigs, made a fire, and roasted the marshmallows over it.