› added 4 months ago

45

TIL that before alarm clocks were common, people known as "knocker-uppers" were employed to wake workers by tapping on their windows with long sticks.

Read more bbc.com

via reddit.com

M7XGm TIL the verb “to duck” existed before the name of the animal. Originally called an “ened” in Old English, the waterfowl was later referred to as a “duck” (or a “ducker”) because of how it would duck underwater for food.
xVppb TIL that Elon Musk was not an original founder of Tesla Motors
gMbP4 TIL that “Hyborian War” is a play-by-mail fantasy game that’s been continuously running since 1985 set in the setting of Conan the Barbarian.
9Y4g7 TIL New York City has the highest concentration of nesting Peregrine falcons in the world. The birds can soar over the city by taking advantage of updrafts from skyscrapers. Pigeons are widely available for food, which also negates their need to migrate.
n8gG TIL Unlike most mammals, the bowhead whale can live well past the age of 200.