› added 9 years ago

294

TIL that in 2012 a Manchester couple jokingly invited Queen Elizabeth to their wedding, the Queen accepted and made an appearance along with Prince Philip.

Bg7Lx TIL: In 1842, John Francis aimed a pistol at Queen Victoria but the gun did not fire and the assailant escaped. The following day, Victoria drove the same route in an attempt to bait Francis into taking a second aim. As expected, Francis shot at her, but he was seized by plainclothes policemen.
WkoOX TIL that, in 2005, Nepal Airlines sacrificed two goats in front of their two malfunctioning Boeing airplanes to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god. According to a spokesperson, the snag was fixed and the aircraft could resume their flights.
gMeKD TIL In 1814 in London, the brewing vats in a brewery burst, releasing 580k to 1.4m litres of beer onto slum dwellings. Eight people were killed, five of them mourners at the wake of a two-year-old boy. The brewery almost went bankrupt but was saved when they received a rebate for the lost beer.
Bvkd TIL that many toothpastes contain small plastic beads which may lodge in the gums, are likely harmful to the environment, and are included in toothpaste for decorative purposes only
N7lM1 TIL, despite composing two of the most recognizable songs in US history, 'Maple Leaf Rag' and 'The Entertainer' Scott Joplin died penniless and was nearly forgotten until a revival in ragtime during the 60s sparked renewed interest, culminating with the movie 'The Sting'