› added 11 years ago

1703

TIL: US States had the legal right to impose the “death penalty” on Corporations in the 18th and 19th century by revoking their corporate charters and selling off their assets.

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69QoQ TIL about the only double barrel cannon in the world. When it was its first tested during the American Civil War, the chain snapped immediately and one ball tore into a nearby cabin, knocking down its chimney; the other spun off erratically and struck a nearby cow, killing it instantly.
gymD TIL popcorn kernels that don’t pop are called “old maids” because they lack the necessary moisture to pop
woOQM TIL a species of cicada lives in the United States, the life expectancy of which reaches 17 years. For comparison, the rest of their "relatives" live much less: 3-4 years.
bWGQ TIL the Spartans used cumbersome, impractical iron sticks as currency “so as to discourage the pursuit of wealth”
vPGo8 TIL that the name of the student organization and high school club Future Homemakers of America was changed to Family, Career and Community Leaders of America in 1999.