› added 11 years ago

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TIL millionaire Michael O'Leary, CEO of airline Ryanair, has his own taxicab company with just one cab so he can legally use the bus lanes and avoid traffic jams

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dDX9Q TIL The modern Western salute originated in France when knights greeted each other to show friendly intentions by raising their visors to show their faces (according to some modern military manuals, though the history is uncertain and other theories exist)
XEXaX TIL that the ‘Father of American Gynecology’, and former President of the American Medical Association James Marion Sims conducted experiments on enslaved women without anesthesia to hone his surgical techniques.
dD7Dr TIL Bill Dana, comedian and script writer, most well known for his character Jose Jimenez, had a brother who was an accomplished musician, arranger, and who wrote the theme song to Get Smart. Dana had earlier worked with comedian Don Adams, and wrote what would become his character in Get Smart.
nWr49 TIL The Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded their album Blood Sugar Sex Magik in the mansion Harry Houdini allegedly once lived in, as the band wanted to record in an unusual setting to enhance their creative output. Drummer Chad Smith was convinced the house was haunted and refused to stay in the house.
5Yen9 TIL that while in Sharon Springs, Theodore Roosevelt was approached by a 12-year-old girl who asked if he would like to have a badger. Expecting to humor her, he agreed, and the girl came back with a 2-week-old badger. President Roosevelt named him Josiah and he became one of the presidential pets.