› added 12 years ago

102

TIL That Aleister Crowley, a ceremonial magician and founder of his own occultist religion, was voted the 73rd greatest Briton of all time

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NgK1 TIL that on many major airlines, a pilot must eat a different in-flight meal to his co-pilot to minimise the risk of food-related illnesses compromising the flight.
LQM8Q TIL that the Indian mathematician and astronomer Baudhayana, who lived around 800 BCE, wrote the Baudhayana Sulba Sutra, which describes the construction of various geometric shapes using a rope known as a "sulba” with precise geometric measurements, the Pythagorean theorem, area of a circle.
ANrOw TIL Billy Idol was first choice for the role of T-1000 in Terminator 2, but a motorcycle accident in 1990 prevented it. During his time in hospital he also swore never to wear the Confederate flag again after a black employee explained his feelings on it.
9Y047 TIL that it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland because they get lonely. They’re very social creatures, and are considered victims of abuse if they aren’t allowed to regularly interact with others of their species. Switzerland even has matchmaking agencies for lonely guinea pigs.
ooPE TIL Steven Spielberg refused to take a salary for making Schindlers List, & instead relinquished all profits to create a Holocaust Survivor’s charity. Fearing the low budget film would be a flop, the studio agreed to fund it only if he helped them with another project the same year - Jurassic Park.