› added 9 years ago

858

TIL when José Mujica was detained he spent 10 years in solitary confinement, 2 years of which were at the bottom of a empty well. After this he went on to became president of Uruguay.

Read more britannica.com

via reddit.com

Qer6 TIL In 1974, two phone hackers stood on a California beach and from two public phone booths intercepted every incoming call to Santa Barbara, and told the dialers the city had been wiped out in a nuclear explosion, causing a widespread panic.
MeGQV TIL Paul Cuffe was born the son of a freed black man and a Native American woman who built his own ship, captained a lucrative whaling business, and snuck supplies through British blockades became the richest man in the city of Westport.
JBJ1 TIL that, even though people often question the safety of vaccine ingredients, a typical dose contains less mercury than a tuna sandwich
LQNK9 TIL that Billy Idol wrote 'sweet sixteen' after learning the story behind Coral Castle, a curious limestone structure in Miami, Florida, and its creator Edward Leedskalnin.
WkPoA TIL that in 3 days Queen Elizabeth II will move from 7th to 6th place in the list of oldest serving state leaders of all time, surpassing George Tupou I King of Tonga.