› added 13 years ago

138

TIL that the term “Swan Song” comes from a belief dating back to 3rd century B.C. that the Mute Swan is silent its entire life until it sings one beautiful song right before it dies.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

Y9bZ TIL underwater Octopus Wrestling was a popular sport in the 1960s with the annual World Championships held in Puget Sound, Washington. The event was televised and attracted 5000 spectators. The caught octopuses (which can grow up to 90 pounds) were either eaten, donated, or released back to the wild
7rrmL TIL Oyster Mushrooms (white edible mushrooms that grow on dead trees) are carnivorous. They have microscopic lassos that attract nematodes with a chemical, then constrict around the nematode and release a toxin that paralyzes the nematode so they can absorb nitrogen from them.
M7xv0 TIL Thomas Jefferson paid journalists to report that John Adams was a hermaphrodite as part of a smear campaign
yG4p TIL that a young Richard Branson had his flight to the Virgin Islands cancelled, so he chartered a private airplane. Not having enough money to do so, he picked up a small blackboard, wrote “Virgin Airlines $29” on it, sold tickets for the rest of the seats, and used that money to pay for the ride.
5V5vB TIL Snorlax's appearance and gluttony were directly inspired by game freak designer Kōji Nishino. Snorlax's Japanese name, カビゴン (Kabigon), is based on Nishino's nickname, and is derived from 黴 kabi (mold), as Nishino had a habit of eating moldy food