› added 4 years ago

71

TIL the Kuwae volcanic eruption affected the entire world. During the final siege of Constantinople the city's gardens failed and it was racked by a thunderstorm. There were crop failures in Sweden, the Chinese recorded countless died of cold and famine, and Mexican codices record frosts in fall.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

wLnmJ TIL The largest beaver dam on Earth is located in northern Alberta, is visible from space and is over 2,790 feet in length. Experts believe construction began in the 1970s, making it a multi-generational project.
ADge7 TIL that the Louisiana bar exam is 21.5 hours long, the longest of any state.
vjRR TIL There is a Redtailed Hawk living in Central Park for over 20 years. He has had eight bird lovers, most of whom met tragic deaths.
Wlx4 TIL a man once accidentally exposed himself to a small amount of Plutonium which was traceable in his urine for the next 50 years.
1aw9r TIL that in 1842 Abraham Lincoln was challenged to a duel by political rival, James Shields. Due to his towering height, Lincoln chose broadswords. When the day of the duel arrived Lincoln demonstrated his strength by chopping a nearby tree branch in half, causing Shields to back out and apologize.