› added 11 years ago

63

TIL that original crosshairs in older firearms used ‘real’ hair or spiderweb

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

rR0No TIL that the longest single "conflict" was the Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years War, allegedly between the Netherlands and the Isle of Scilly, extended by a lack of a peace treaty for 335 years, without a shot ever being fired.
R5LpQ TIL The Dark Side of the Rainbow is the pairing of the Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon with the film The Wizard of Oz. This produces numerous moments of apparent synchronicity where the film and the album appear to correspond. Members of Pink Floyd denied any intent to connect them.
kdgE TIL that second Viking Earl of Orkney, Sigurd Eysteinsson, was killed by the severed head of one his enemies. The head was strapped to Sigurd’s saddle, and as Sigurd rode, the head’s teeth grazed against Sigurd’s leg. The wound became infected and Sigurd died.
nk1P TIL During World War I, before the traction splint was introduced, femur fractures had an 80% mortality rate. After the splint was introduced, the rate dropped to around 8%.
W7gGo TIL the term "Siamese twins" comes from the twin conjoined brothers Chang and Eng Bunker who were born in Siam, now Thailand. When they first arrived in England to become circus exhibits, they were called “The Siamese Twins.”