› added 2 years ago

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TIL, that the first pyramid in Pharaonic Egypt wasn't Khufu's pyramid (the great pyramid of giza), However it was his father's (sneferu) known as the "Bent Pyramid," located in Dahshur.

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69lk8 TIL that wild panda populations can have reproductive rates comparable to some American black bear populations, which are thriving. Pandas are mistakenly believed to be poor breeders due to their the disappointing reproductive performance while captive.
GM9G TIL that the reason spiders’ legs curl when they die is that spiders use the blood pressure spike from their heartbeat to extend their legs out. When they die their heart ceases to beat and their legs curl.
OGJX1 TIL of Lei Tai. An Ancient Chinese form of Gladiatorial Combat/Entertainment where a local champion fighter builds a stage in the town square and invites anyone to knock him off the stage using any unarmed martial art. The winner then gets to "own" the stage, and issues a similar challenge as well.
d8yWB TIL that in 1896, Irish-American inventor Patrick Cunningham sabotaged a town rally for presidential candidate William McKinley by firing his rocket-powered "flying devil" torpedo down the main street.
neaxo TIL about Smoky the Yorkie, a pet dog to soldiers in the south pacific, weighing 4lbs, who kept operational 40 United States fighters by running a wire tied to her collar through a 6in pipe, completing a 3 day construction job in minutes. Also had 10 recognized combat flights, 8 combat stars.