› added 6 years ago

47

TIL that Prince was Prince's real name(Prince Rogers Nelson), but after a contractual dispute with W.Bros. he changed his stage name to an unpronouncable symbol earning himself the name "The Artist Formally Know as Prince" and "forcing a mass mailing of floppy disks with custom font."

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neVbd TIL About the legend of Wan Hu, a supposed Chinese man who became the “first astronaut” in 2000BC by tying 47 firework rockets to a chair. Dressed in regal splendour, he had 47 servants light each of the rockets and then took off as they ran for cover. When the smoke cleared, he was gone.
bJ74 TIL the original Constitution does not contain the words God, Jesus, Lord, Slave, or Slavery.
KOYJQ An extraordinary collection of images from Burns Archive shows the extent to which gas masks were promoted as an essential part of everyday life in the early 20th century. It had been 20 years since the end of World War I, when chlorine gas—and, later, mustard gas—had first been used. The estimates of total casualties from this form of chemical warfare are staggering: 88,000 dead and 1,200,000 injured. With war once again on the horizon, Britain and continental Europe began taking early precautions. In 1938, the British government issued 35 million “General Civilian Respirators”. Everyone from ballerinas to surgeons were encouraged to wear the masks.
E5vo TIL that when eating cookie dough, you are more likely to be poisoned by the flour than the actual eggs
16Wxd TIL that both successful and unsuccessful attempts at humor increase perceived confidence, but only successful attempts also increase perceived competence and social status