› added 8 years ago

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TIL that in September 2005, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko sacked the entire government in an effort to curb corruption.

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neQ5r TIL the Roman Empire mined so much silver that at peak production they were mining 200 tonnes per year. This was 5 to 10 times larger than the combined amount of silver available to Medieval Europe & Abbasid Caliphate around 800 AD.
Lk6dV TIL hemp can be used to make paper, cloth, fuel, oils, medicine, plastic, rope, etc. and only takes one acre compared to 4.1 acres of trees to make the same amount of paper, and is even more environmentally friendly, but was made illegal due to the confusion that it can get you high (it doesn’t)
ZVxv TIL In the 1980’s, Freddie Mercury dressed up Princess Diana in drag so she could go dance and party undetected at the local gay club.
AKo4 TIL one reason menus list a very expensive wine or specialty food item is to make everything else on the menu seem more reasonable, causing diners to spend more than they normally would.
JYx41 TIL that an uprising occurred in Romania in 1974, after they ran out of "Columbo" episodes, Peter Falk (who played the titular character) was reached out to by their government, so that the movement would quell, and he informed the people that more episodes would get made