› added 11 years ago

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TIL motorcycle helmets were invented by the neurosurgeon who attended to Lawrence of Arabia after his fatal motorcycle crash.

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epVxg TIL the term "death row" comes from an assassination attempt on FDR. The shooter Giuseppe Zangara was sentenced to death, but there was already a convict awaiting execution, and FL law forbade them from sharing cells. A second cell was built, turning the "death cell" into the first "death row."
LQgZd TIL Nina Simone’s song Mississippi Goddam was written in response to a Baptist church bombing in 1963. This song was used as an anthem for the civil rights movement in a time when music was heavily censored
rayx TIL anti-personnel land mines are specifically designed NOT to kill enemy combatants, but to maim. Thus, increasing the logistical support needed to counter it.
gaVL TIL that hedgehogs used to get their heads stuck in McFlurry containers until McDonald’s changed them in 2006
p8JNp TIL Stradivarius, of violin fame, also made guitars. While there are hundreds of Stradivarius violins, there's only one remaining playable Stradivarius guitar left in the world.