› added 11 years ago

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TIL that Isaac Newton predicted that the world would end around 2060. He wrote this in a letter in 1704 after studying different religious texts. He also “wrote more about theology and alchemy than science and math combined.”

6ElwW TIL The term “jeep” originates from a Popeye’ comic book character in 1936 and was used for many military vehicles including airplanes. In the 40s both Ford and Willys MB (which later became Jeep) manufactured what we would call a Jeep.
j0kM TIL about Motörhead, a 1992 beat-em-up for the Amiga. You played as Lemmy as he rescued the other members of the band from rappers, rednecks and ravers. The game also included bottles of Jack Daniels as health and mini-games where you pick up groupies and trash hotel rooms.
9YmW7 TIL that George Takei respectfully declined an offer to voice himself in the Simpsons episode Marge vs. the Monorail because he didn't want to ridicule public transportation.
YaRP TIL in Holland’s embassy in Moscow, two Siamese cats kept meowing and clawing at the walls of the building. Their owners finally investigated, thinking they would find mice. Instead, they discovered microphones hidden by Russian spies.
rNede TIL about “English as She is Spoke”, a Portuguese-English translation guide, written by an author that had no grasp of English. He used a Portuguese-French and then a French-English guide for help instead. The resulting book was read by both Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln to have a good laugh.