› added 8 months ago

24

TIL The White House has a Chief Calligrapher. Job includes writing invitations to dinners, greetings, and proclamations. The position earns over $100k a year.

PYXeG TIL That in 1998 a woman from Tennessee was elected Democratic State Senator as a write-in candidate after the original Democratic candidate, her husband, was assassinated by his opponent 2 weeks before the election. She won 95% of votes and 3 subsequent elections before retiring undefeated in 2013
ADyXB TIL about luminescence dating, a set of methods that can be used to determine when a piece of rock was exposed to light! These methods can be used to date items going back thousands of years with 90-95% accuracy! A useful tool for archaeologists!
X99k TIL that there was a reality show that involved locking 9 strangers in a bunker for an indefinite period of time and could only come out when they unanimously vote who among themselves should be awarded $1,500,000.
awadZ TIL Certain oak tree populations will synchronize to produce almost no acorns, only to rain them down excessively the following year, known as a "mast" year. The year preceding the mast year is thought to starve off the mammal populations feeding on the acorns.
yVj5v TIL after the female black laced weaver spiders eggs hatch and the young grow out of their first moult, she will sacrifice herself and trick her babies into devouring her alive in order for them to survive and grow until they are able to catch their own food.