› added 5 years ago

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TIL of the rex Nemorensis, a Roman priest dedicated to Diana. The office was only open to runaway slaves, and to become the new priest, the slave had to kill his predecessor: "accordingly the priest is always armed with a sword, looking around for the attacks, and ready to defend himself."

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OGgR1 TIL: You can't take pictures in the Sistine Chapel because a Japanese broadcaster said so and the Vatican ran with it
DQwmv TIL a wide range of historic artifacts from the Titanic have been preserved. From the personal, like perfume oils and a bracelet engraved with a third-class passenger's name, to items from the ship itself, such as a menu from the last meal and a bronze cherub from the grand staircase.
dxXZ TIL that the phrase “You’ve got guts” originated from the American Civil War era during which over 211,000 soldiers were diagnosed with chronic diarrhea. Because of its frequency, the expression arose that a man “had to have good guts to be a good soldier.”
d8EM9 TIL : Author HG Wells pretty much created the template for the modern day disaster movie with his 1897 short story "The Star". It tells of the Earths near miss with a meteor who's gravitational pull causes earthquakes, tidal waves, and the melting of the ice caps. Millions are killed.
4klWb TIL the only organization to have ever operated full scale nuclear facilities without a single serious safety incident is the US Navy, largely credited to the work of Hyman G Rickover