› added 5 years ago

76

TIL that the first person to die in the American Civil War was actually killed by accident. The soldier's name was Daniel Hough and he was killed by an cannon explosion caused by the same cannon firing prematurely during a 100-gun salute to the flag.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

VBEbB TIL Once a Finnish farmer plowed up and accidentally cut the cable which connected Moscow to Washington, famously known as the "Red Telephone", put in place after the Cuban Missile Crisis out of the necessity of a quick, clear, and direct communication line between the two superpowers.
XE6aX TIL Studio Ghibli caps their merchandise income at 10 billion yen, in fear that any more commercialization would make their characters 'die instantly'
YpjeP TIL farmers in Africa use beehives to protect their crops from the largest and arguably most destructive crop pest in Africa: the elephant. Bees can’t sting through their thick hides but they can sting sensitive areas like the eyes, mouth, and inner trunk - they hear the hive buzzing and flee.
d8y4Q TIL The 24 Hours of Le Mans traditionally begins with a "standing start", where drivers run to their car. Feeling this type of start was unsafe, Jacky Ickx opposed it by walking across the track while his competitors ran. He was nearly hit by a car, and another was killed. Ickx won the race.
rRwdx TIL that in most areas where hunting may occur deer seem to develop an acute sense of time and a fondness for metro parks and golf courses. This odd occurrence is noted in Michigan, around late Aug. early Sept. they begin to move out of less developed areas in favor of living near human settlements.