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189

TIL Figures in the Sistine Chapel had fig leaves covering them for over 300 years

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VMQ7Z TIL The window tax was a property tax based on the number of windows in a house. To avoid the tax some houses from the period can be seen to have bricked-up window-spaces . In England and Wales it was introduced in 1696 and was repealed in 1851, France and Scotland also had window taxes.
BgmL TIL that Volkswagen was once the most valuable company in the world - for exactly one day.
jNYOj TIL Captain Cook's return to Hawaii coincided with the Makahiki, a Hawaiian harvest festival of worship for the god Lono. Coincidentally the form of Cook's ship resembled certain artifacts that formed part of the season of worship. He was flayed a month later after trying to kidnap the king.
lo0kG TIL that only five countries have participated in every Summer Olympic Games – Australia, France, Great Britain, Greece & Switzerland
b9gkj TIL that it took nearly 2 hours to execute convicted murderer Joseph Wood. An hour after being injected with midazolam & hydromorphone (15 times the lethal dose), the prisoner was still alive. Lawyers filed an emergency appeal to halt the execution. Ten minutes after he died, the appeal was denied.