› added 8 months ago

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TIL that the game Snooker was invented by a British Army officer in India called Neville Chamberlain (Not the former Prime Minister). The name "Snooker" came from and was used as a derogatory term for first year, inexperiended soldiers

Read more snookerusa.com

via reddit.com

VxOG TIL The origin of french fries is a hotly contested issue between Belgium and France. Belgium claims a 1781 family manuscript proves they were invented there, while France claims Paris street vendors invented the dish just before the French revolution.
m1G4x TIL George Washington feared that partisanship would lead to a “spirit of revenge” in which party men would not govern for the good of the people, but only to obtain and maintain their grip on power.
8amoa TIL it would be possible to restore the atmosphere of Mars by placing a giant magnet between the Sun and Mars
OGLDY TIL that honey bees are so obsessed with cleanliness that most will leave the hive when they know it’s time to die, to avoid contaminating brood and food stocks.
nRk9 TIL in order to eliminate gender bias, many orchestras use blind auditions in which the candidates play their instrument behind a screen.