› added 9 years ago

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TIL Comedian Spike Milligan’s wish to have his tomb stone read “I told you I was ill” was refused by the Chichester diocese. They compromised and wrote the same epitaph in Irish.

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rNePw TIL that King Peter I of Serbia personally led the army to fight against the Central Powers during World War I
Yp8wW TIL up until the widespread acceptance of germ theory and invention of the disposable cup in 1907, public water fountains used to consist of "common" or "community" metal cup attached to a chain
0d8MA TIL In 1833, Britain used 40% of its national budget to pass the Slavery Abolition Act. The British government borrowed £20 million to compensate slave owners, but nothing was paid to the enslaved people themselves. The loan was one of the largest in history and wasn't paid off until 2015.
rRogM TIL FDR is the only physically disabled person to be US President. Paralysed from the waist down, ramps for his wheelchair were installed at the White House. This was hidden from the public. In speeches he used his head to make gestures because his hands were gripping the lectern to remain upright.
ZRJG TIL Star Wars blasters in the original trilogy used functional Sterling submachine guns, and had blanks to simulate a muzzle flash and noise.