› added 9 years ago

68

TIL the coffee drink “Americano or caffé Americano” was created in World War II when American G.I.s in Italy would dilute espresso with hot water to approximate the coffee to which they were accustomed.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

5YWxP TIL Jim Jones, the cult leader infamous for the mass suicide of Jonestown, was a racial integreationist and helped racially integrate various types of public places in Indianapolis in the 60s, and got a Humanitarian award for it.
8e7da TIL The middle finger is the penis and the curled fingers on either side are the testicles. By doing it, you are offering someone a phallic gesture. It is saying, 'this is a phallus' that you're offering to people, which is a very primeval display."
PwGV TIL that through the process of grafting (splicing trees together by hand), you can grow multiple kinds of fruit on the same tree. These trees are called ‘fruit salad trees’.
GYBA4 TIL of Jerrie Cobb, who started flying at age 12 and later set world records for distance flight, speed, and altitude. She played semiprofessional softball to help finance her aviation, ranked in the top 2% of all astronaut candidates, and pioneered humanitarian flights earning a Nobel nomination.
8OnL TIL approximately 80% of “close door” elevator buttons aren’t connected to anything.