› added 11 years ago

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TIL the ancestor of the first whales was a midsize, land dwelling mammal

Read more evolution.berkeley.edu

via reddit.com

ne17r TIL that in a 2018 English women's football (soccer) match, the referee, upon being without a coin for the pregame coin toss, had the team captains play rock paper scissors to determine which team would kick-off. The referee was subsequently suspended by the FA for three weeks
OEpL TIL Homosexuality was still classified as an illness in Sweden in 1979. Swedes protested by calling in sick to work, claiming they “felt gay”.
6407 TIL the reason the Toronto Maple Leafs are not called the Maple “Leaves” is because the name was chosen in honor of the Maple Leaf Regiment from WWI. Since the regiment is a proper noun, its plural is Maple Leafs and not Leaves.
XEO1P TIL that the eagle featured on U.S. currency was modeled on a real bald eagle named Peter who used to live on top of the U.S. Mint. He died in 1836 but, like many animals whose admirers just can't let go, Peter was stuffed and is still on display inside the very building upon which he once nested.
VMMrG TIL Hollywood briefly experimented with an interactive movie format akin to "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. Back to the Future co-writer Bob Gale wrote a film and directed a film called "Mr. Payback" in which audience members were able to choose what happened next. The results were disastrous.