› added 9 years ago

73

TIL the first Canadian man put on trial for homosexuality was given a choice between the death penalty or becoming the permanent executioner. He chose to become the executioner.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

JYxKl TIL Stalin demolished a Moscow cathedral to make way for a “Palace of the Soviets”, which would have been the world’s tallest building, but WWII halted construction after only the foundation had been excavated. Eventually, the foundation pit was converted into the world’s largest outdoor pool.
DQaXg TIL China, virtually closed to Americans for over a decade, opened its doors to a Danish author from National Geographic for a lengthy tour conducted by communist officials in 1964
VBkb4 TIL The Immaculate Conception is a separate concept from the Virgin Birth. It refers to the Catholic (and some others) belief that Mary was conceived without Original Sin and therefore was pure enough to receive the Son of God. The concept is often rejected by Protestants as non-scriptural.
BrBLD TIL that stop signs are used all over the world except in Turkey where they are labeled "Dur"
LPW0 TIL Mild-mannered Jon Lovitz went nuts on Andy Dick at a comedy club accusing him of being somewhat responsible for Phil Hartman’s death. Dick apparently got Hartman’s wife back on drugs. Phil was shot five months later.