› added 11 years ago

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TIL that one of the first recognized instances of internet democracy was seen in 1998 when Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, a regular on Howard Stern, was voted #1 as a write in for People’s “50 Most Beautiful People.” He beat out Leondardo Dicaprio by over 215K votes.

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oBYYA TIL in 1999 that Royal Caribbean was accused of dumping oil and was caught providing falsified documents about it to the US Coast Guard. They then argued they were outside US jurisdiction since they were incorporated in Liberia (their HQ was/is in Miami)
R5L96 TIL there's a volcano in the Philippines, Mount Mayon, known for its perfect cone shape. It's so symmetrical that it has become a popular symbol of natural beauty and has inspired numerous local legends.
696pQ TIL White Clover which is used worldwide as an excellent forage crop, is also a good survival food when cooked and has lots of protein. The shoots can also be used to treat intestinal parasitic worms.
9Y5b7 TIL that Benjamin Franklin used chess as a means of learning Italian. He would play games with a friend who was also studying the language. The winner of their match assigned a task to the loser; such as making them learn some Italian grammar, which had to be performed before their next match.
nWeLr TIL coin / button battery numbers reflect their physical size. For example the popular CR2032 battery you may have heard of means its 20MM in diameter and 3.2MM in height. The CR2477 is a 24MM diameter 7.7MM in height battery.