› added 11 years ago

97

TIL Edgar Allen Poe wrote a novel in 1838 about a shipwreck where the survivors ate one of their own, Richard Parker. 46 years later, a yacht called the Mignonette sank, leaving 4 survivors. They, too ate one of the survivors, a cabin boy named Richard Parker.

PjNJ TIL a jealous wife in China chopped off her cheating husband’s penis as he slept, then snuck into his hospital room after he had it sewn back on — and hacked it off again and tossed it out the window.
OGa7a TIL I learned that the fledgling Casablanca Records was saved from extinction by singing Donna Summer after the label went $7 million in debt on a live album of Johnny Carson which returned more copies than sold.
p8v7N TIL that back in 2005, UK politician Alan Johnson was made 'Productivity, Energy and Industry Secretary' for five days. His job title was changed back to Secretary for Trade and Industry after people abbreviated the new one as 'PENIS'
gr9d9 TIL: That Muhammad Ali had Irish ancestry and visited the country on a number of occasions. In 2009, he took time out to visit Ennis in County Clare, the home town of his ancestor Abe Grady whereupon he was also made first honorary freeman of the town.
KYE6Q TIL The Magdalen Islands in Canada remained under French control since 1591 when French sailors discovered walrus there and settled. With Native support, the French were victorious against English who wanted to possess the islands and colonization projects were unsuccessful