› added 4 months ago

16

TIL that brown rats originate from China and only spread to the rest of the old world during the Middle Ages.

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jNGmE TIL that platypuses produce milk despite lacking nipples. Instead of teats, they "sweat" milk from glands on their belly that their young then lap up.
DmBp TIL that the 19th century Catholic Church declared “Americanism” a heresy, which included the beliefs in separation of church and state, secularism, etc. This played into American fears at the time that Catholics were too loyal to the Pope and were thus undemocratic, illiberal, and unassimilatable.
e0yJ4 TIL Benito Mussolini signed Vatican City into existence. The 1929 Lateran Treaty ended the dispute between the Italian government & the Catholic Church, which allowed the Vatican to exist as its own sovereign state and compensated the church $92 million (> $1 billion today) for the Papal states.
bolj TIL Spongebob’s Bikini Bottom is based on the nuclear testing on Bikini Atoll during the 40’s and 50’s. Hence, radiation makes talking sponges and starfish.
NnRP TIL Jonah Hill agreed to be paid only $60,000 for his role in The Wolf of Wall Street that took 7 months to film, because he really wanted that specific part in the movie.