› added 12 years ago

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TIL that all Royal Navy vessels wishing to enter The Port of London are still required to give a gift of a barrel of rum or wine to Constable of the Tower of London upon entry.

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via reddit.com

grnlX TIL about the accidental invention of the potato chip
oBa07 TIL of French inventor Charles-Émile Reynaud. He invented the Théâtre Optique, a device for projecting film made several years before the cinematograph (the first widespread projector). Reynaud made the first animated films ever but threw them into a river in a fit of depression. All but one is lost
4Xrpw TIL that cat meat is a traditional Christmas dish in parts of Switzerland. The Swiss government rejected a proposed law to protect dogs and cats from being eaten in 1993.
kJJV1 TIL that the Tango is so popular in Finland it’s practically the national dance
D1k7V TIL A recent study found that the size of a lottery win subsequently increases borrowing and bankruptcies among neighbors of the winner