› added 3 years ago

125

TIL that notable pirates such as Blackbeard and Benjamin Hornigold united themselves under a "Republic of Pirates" which wreaked havoc across the Caribbean. Their island base of Nassau was recaptured after being without a Governor for 12 years.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

nen9Y TIL it is easy to build a particle physics detector with just a fish tank, alcohol, paper and a hot water bottle. It will show cosmic rays that come from beyond our galaxy.
J1XR1 TIL George Lucas originally envisioned Indiana Jones as a nightclub going womanizer. But his writing partner nixed that and suggested making the Ark of the Covenant as the goal of Indiana's quest as his hematologist told him about it. Spielberg agreed to direct only after losing out on James Bond.
WkEE4 TIL the classic VW Beetle was produced in Mexico from 1955 until as late as 2003, where it was used as a taxi. The Mexican government effectively ended the Beetle's production because street gangs would often raid two-door cars as the passenger in the back couldn't escape.
Ego90 TIL Post-coital tristesse is is the feeling of sadness, anxiety, agitation or aggression, after orgasm in sexual intercourse or masturbation. Basically the scientific label for post-nut clarity. Wiki also says it is self-diagnosed, and lasts 5 minutes - 2 hours.
LkyoV TIL that Joshua Norton, most famous for proclaiming himself "Emperor of the United States", once successfully stopped a race riot by standing between the rioters and Chinese labourers and repeatedly reciting the Lord's Prayer until they dispersed