› added 4 years ago

67

TIL in the past, Chinese writers would use pejorative symbols: such as dog and monkey radicals, to write the names of ethnic groups that the Chinese didn't like.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

x67lD TIL that the American laws against Chinese immigration in the early 20th century had a loophole that allowed Chinese to enter the US if they managed a Chinese restaurant. As a result, the number of Chinese eateries in the US quadrupled between 1910 and 1930.
16ko4 TIL some professional sports leagues have contingency plans for "disaster drafts" in case a large portion of a single team dies.
99rG TIL Joe Arridy was named happiest inmate on death row. He had an IQ of 46 and played with a toy train given to him by the warden. Due to his lack of understanding, he smiled on his way to the gas chamber.
4raR TIL: Inca architecture was built to be earthquake resistent. Inca masonry is effective in withstanding even major tremors
Xml6 TIL the Aral Sea, once the 4th largest lake in the world, has been steadily shrinking since the 1960’s. It’s now 1/10th the original size. Nearly 90% of the water has now given way to sandy desert with wrecks of beached boats dotting the surface.