› added 6 years ago

84

TIL that Sodium Nitrate, an essential oxidizing component in gun powder, was discovered by 9th century Taoist monks that were actually trying to create an elixir of immortality.

Read more beyondtheshaker.com

via reddit.com

odgr TIL that if one attempted suicide (by hanging, for instance) in 19th century Britain and failed to die, he/she would be charged with attempted murder…which could be punished with death by hanging
5YO5B TIL James Harrison holds the record for 1000 blood plasma donations and has helped save more than 2 million babies, since his blood plasma, which contains an unusual antibody, was used to develop Anti-D injection that prevents the rhesus disease among new born babies.
M7048 TIL a Chinese teenager defaced a stone sculpture in ancient Egyptian Luxor Temple with graffiti. An embarrassed Chinese traveller photographed it and shared on Weibo. It took just a day before outraged netizens tracked the teenager down in his hometown forcing his parents to apologize for him.
woloJ TIL Niger has the highest, by far, fertility rate in the world at 6.6, meaning every woman has over six children on average. In fact, of the 31 countries with the highest fertility rate on earth, 30 are in Africa.
WkXGY TIL that Jake Lloyd, who played young Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace, retired from acting when he was 12 due to bullying, destroyed all his Star Wars memorabilia, and was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after being involved in a high speed chase with police.