› added 10 years ago

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TIL the Irish word “bhfaighidh” is one syllable.

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neGvd TIL that the phrase “well-behaved women seldom make history” is often misquoted, but still has a powerful feminist message on the importance of women and men who perform small actions in our society
p8X48 TIL The phrase "mad as a hatter" originated in the hat making industry of the 18th century as mercury nitrate was a vital substance used in the production process. This lead to a variety of physical and mental ailments, including tremors (“hatter’s shakes”), speech problems, emotional instabilities.
N7lJP TIL about the Great Stork Derby, a contest held by a Toronto financier and practical joker which bequeathed the residue of his significant estate to the woman in Toronto who could produce the most children in the decade following his death. Two women won and were each given $1.91m in today's dollars
D6rg TIL that a failed coup lead by pilots of King’s Hassan II of Morocco attacked his Boeing 727 jetliner using four Northrop F-5 jets. Damaging the fuselage, the king himself grabbed the radio and shouted “Stop firing! The tyrant is dead!” Fooling the rebel pilots to break off their attack.
WkopN TIL of Conrad Veidt, the man who played the villain in Casablanca, who gave up a career as one of the highest-paid actors in Germany in '33. When forced to declare his race for the government he wrote "Juden" despite not being Jewish, because his wife was and he wouldn't renounce her.