› added 20 hours ago

TIL: Despite it's status as a beloved piece in musical history today, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was met with mediocre reception upon debut, with many critics claiming it was haphazardly made, calling it "derivative", "stale", and "inexpressive."

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

QJkEk TIL Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian army officer who collaborated with Nazi Germany during the occupation of Norway, eventually established his name as a synonym for "traitor" in Norwegian and English.
Me4am TIL that the 1968 Pandemic H3N2 virus, commonly referred to as the Hong Kong Flu Virus, was an extremely contagious virus with a low fatality rate that originated in China and was widespread in the United States about five months later. It struck in two waves, with the second being more deadly.
VBwYZ Today I learned Tabula rasa (blank slate) is the theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and therefore all knowledge comes from experience or perception, which is in direct contrast to Innatism which is the idea that the mind is born with ideas, knowledge, and beliefs.
mxrOR TIL that in the USSR, according to Soviet statistics, the 3% of cultivated land in private hands "produced over a quarter of gross agricultural output, including about 30 percent of meat and milk, 66 percent of potatoes, and 40 percent of fruits, vegetables, and eggs"
wLXJ8 TIL all Porsche cars have the ignition on the left side of the steering-wheel. This comes from an idea at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race when drivers had to start the car themselves, this way the driver could start the car with his left hand while put it in gear with his right hand and start faster.