› added 5 years ago

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TIL the government can seize private property and sell it to another private owner for vague promises of "economic development." Suzette Kelo had her home demolished to build hotel-retail space, but the developer cancelled the project and the lot is now vacant. SCOTUS ruled in the City's favor.

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via reddit.com

O5m4 TIL The ceremony of the keys at the Tower of London has gone on almost uninterrupted for 700 years. It was late once during WWII due to a number of bombs hitting the guard room, knocking the guards and Yeoman warder over. The officer in charge personally wrote a letter to the king to apologise.
YpyVZ TIL About the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi , planted in 288 BCE, is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date. It has been protected since its planting mainly due to its religious significance in Buddhism.
W8GX TIL that Finland once accidentally built a lighthouse on the Swedish side of their border. Instead of simply transferring the lighthouse to the Swedes, the two countries redrew the border, so that the lighthouse ended up on Finnish soil.
WlE4 TIL that the cast of the 1979 science fiction horror film ‘Alien’ was never told about the chestburster scene in order to capture the authentic fear of the actors
gjAW TIL that in order to popularize potatoes in France, Antoine-Augustin Parmentier placed armed guards around his potato fields, instructing the guards to accept all bribes and allow people to “steal” the crop.