› added 10 years ago

97

TIL Hitler ever only received about 37% of the popular vote

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4kdJ5 TIL a 2.5mil gallon tank of molasses collapsed in 1919 Boston, sending a 35mph (56kmh) molasses tsunami through the streets. The city was sticky for years, and some claim basements were still filled with molasses 30 years later.
Vk7k TIL that the Netherlands are in the process of building “Smart Highways” which will have glow in the dark lane markings, symbols that illuminate the road when adverse conditions appear and an electric priority lane which will charge electric cars as they drive - set to be ready for service mid 2013.
epRoD TIL the longest poem in the world is the Hindu Mahābhārata. It's more than 5 times the length of the Bible, the Iliad, and the Odyssey combined! It has 220000 verses and about 1.8 million words.
oBXEr TIL Jack Black desperately wanted to use a Led Zeppelin song in School Of Rock but the band was notoriously reluctant to let their music be used in films. The director suggested having Black record a personal plea to the band members, in front of a crowd of 1,000 extras. It worked.
kOyem TIL Female Jesters existed. One of the most noted was Mathurine de Vallois, who served the 1500s French Court. She wore a flamboyant Amazon Warrior outfit and was famed for her sharp wit and when she managed to capture Henri IV's would-be assassin as the man tried to flee the scene of the crime.