› added 9 months ago

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TIL: Antarctica is a desert and the largest one on Earth.

Read more education.nationalgeographic.org

via reddit.com

vPenj TIL of Jackass Annie Road. In 1954 doctors told "Jackass Annie" Wilkins (63) of Minot, Maine that she would soon die. Wanting to see California, she rode a horse there and back over 17 months. Wilkins wrote a book about her adventure and lived until 1980. Minot renamed a street after her.
awAry TIL that Jewish communities had lower death rates during the 14th c. Black Death due to their hygienic practices. This in part inspired a wave of antisemitic violence in Christian Europe, where some communities attributed the pandemic to a Jewish conspiracy.
GjPG TIL the existence of the BT Tower used to be an official secret. It was 189 metres tall, located in the centre of London, and had a rotating restaurant that anyone could visit. It did not appear on maps and was not officially acknowledged until 1993.
OoOPg TIL I learned that Sweden have the most islands in the world.
oQ5W TIL a rogue North Atlantic wave broke 67m (220 ft) above sea level, shattering 23 windows and flooding the Eagle Island lighthouse in Ireland. Workers were unable to open the door due to water pressure, forcing them to drill it to drain the tower