› added 10 years ago

93

TIL Frank Shuman was an American inventor, engineer & solar energy pioneer noted for his work on solar engines. He built the world’s first solar thermal power station in Maadi, Egypt in 1912. His plant managed to pump 6,000 gallons of water per minute from the Nile River into adjacent cotton fields.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

1abVr TIL that the Seventh amendment of the constitution hasn’t changed since it was written so inflation hasn’t been applied despite being over 200 years old.
E1NEw TIL that since 1868 over 200 anti-lynching bills have been introduced to the US Congress. None of them have passed both houses.
W7jdd TIL that 1911 was the first time International Women's Day was celebrated worldwide.
11gO TIL When the Soviets allowed the Chinese to produce their own copies of the Mig-21, the Soviet design had so many flaws that the Chinese had to make nearly 250 changes to the design to overcome flaws or incomplete design documentation.
X0wXr TIL the congressional page program was shut down due in part from congressmen soliciting sex from them