› added 3 years ago

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TIL about a disabled British pensioner called Kempton Bunton who stole Goya's Portrait of The Duke of Wellington in 1961, who would return it on condition of a donation made to charity. His case went to trial where he was found not guilty of stealing the painting but guilty of stealing the frame.

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NwyJ TIL in 1959, three schizophrenics who all thought they were Jesus were forced to live together in the same mental hospital, to test the strength of self-delusion.
wLvp6 TIL The design of carburetors in British WWII fighter aircraft had a fault that would shut down the aircraft's engine during a negative-G force maneuver. In 1941 a female engineer solved the problem with a simple device, which British pilots then named after her. It was named Miss Shilling's orifice
x69xk TIL that despite over 30 witnesses to the 1955 murder of Lamar Smith, veteran and Civil Rights activist, in broad daylight outside the courthouse of Brookhaven, Mississippi, no witness - who included the local sheriff - would testify in the case, and so the crime went unpunished
rNRKx TIL fraudulent "psychic" Uri Geller's popularity actually surged after his so-called ability was exposed live on Johnny Carson's show when Geller was unexpectedly put on the spot with studio props; many viewers thought he must be legit because of his failure to perform.
5Vd5Q TIL that in 1984, English grandmother Jane Snowball ordered groceries with her TV remote, sending it through her phone line to her local store. She was the first person ever to shop online.