› added 11 years ago

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TIL Police respond to complaints about a building sustaining damage from what appeared to be a minor earthquake. When they arrived, they found Nikola Tesla smashing his oscillator to shut it off.

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oRAko TIL there is no official "national identity card" in the United States. Most Americans use their driver’s license as a national identification.
nWGaW TIL the Swiss constitution of 1848 modelled itself on the US constitution, adopted fundamental rights and the separation of powers, but opted for a seven-member council instead of a single president to balance power regionally.
5Y9wr TIL the Christmas tree, though associated with Christianity, has a pagan origin. Pagans cut down evergreen trees & moved them indoors to recognize the winter solstice, which occurs between December 20 & 23. The "magical" evergreens could withstand the life-threatening powers of darkness & cold.
j6wMR TIL: A "huge" stash of porn was found in Osama bin Laden's bedroom after his death
ybZ8 TIL Christian Bale saw Tom Cruise on the Late Show with David Letterman while preparing for his role in American Psycho. Cruise’s “intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes” became the inspiration for how Bale would portray the psychopathic murderer.