› added 2 years ago

88

TIL that during the Battle of Matilda in the War of 1812, a Canadian militia were ambushed by a much larger American militia. The Canadians who had half the number of men, nevertheless emerged victorious.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

pg5G TIL Yellow and red cards in football were invented in 1966 by Ken Aston, an English referee, who was frustrated due to the language barrier during the World Cup. Driving down Kensington High Street, he took a look at the traffic lights and found them a useful metaphor for caution and stopping play.
7rmk7 TIL in 2000 Saddam Hussein anonymously published a romance novel called 'Zabiba and the King.'
DQXDD TIL that when you click and hold a YouTube video it will fast forward 2x... how have I missed this for 15+ years?
6Ev7l TIL about "The Radium Girls", female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning from painting watch dials with self-luminous paint. The women, told the paint was harmless, ingested deadly amounts of radium after being instructed to "point" their brushes between their lips for a fine point.
YpAxx TIL Disney composer Alan Menken came from a family of dentists and trained at medical school. He was a poor student, "wild hippie" and barely finished NYU. 8 Oscars, 10 Grammys, 7 Golden Globes later, Menken is now a star at NYU with a doctorate and scholarship in his name