› added 11 years ago

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TIL that around 1778, fashionable Parisian women rarely went out in potentially stormy weather without lightning rods attached to their hats–an artist sketched this hat-lightening-rod contraption (looks like a long drooping chain hanging off the hat, rather than an upright antenna).

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p8gbO TIL Hank Williams Jr.’s signature look of a beard, sunglasses and Cowboy hat is due in part to a near-fatal rock climbing accident in the 70s that shattered his skull and required significant rehab to even speak again
ZjXR TIL The Centralia mine fire is a coal seam fire that’s been burning underneath Centralia, PA since at least May 27, 1962; suspected to be from a trash burning that hit a coal strip in a cave. The fire burns at depths of up to 300 ft. over an 8 mile stretch and, as of 2015, continues to burn.
Z85vB TIL that whenever we look at the night sky we are looking at our past , most of the stars we see are not really there ,they are long gone but because of the distance the light takes a long time to travel that it still shows its past state.
Z8NXY TIL about FNG Syndrome. Instead of rotating units into and out of Vietnam, the US military replaced individual members. The replacements were subjected to abuse from their peers, leading to an increase in the number of psychiatric casualties who were removed from the battlefield
ZOXG TIL that in Ontario, Canada, the disabled do not need fishing licenses. Possession of any number of disabled-service documents (e.g. Parking permit, etc.) is equivalent to a fishing license.