› added 5 years ago

442

TIL that a picture of a giant robot helping Russia revolutionaries storm the winter palace in 1917, was accidentally used in an Australian history exam. Some students wasted time in trying to figure out what the giant robot was, thinking it was a statue of a Russian politician or a battleship.

Read more smh.com.au

via reddit.com

R7aXQ TIL that although women weren't legally allowed to fight in the Civil War, it is estimated that somewhere around 400 women disguised themselves as men and fought
Me6y7 TIL that the Moon smells like gunpowder and Space smells like burnt steak.
kOXW1 TIL 19th century England was swept by "Egyptomania", a renewed interest in Egypt's past. Rich Victorians would travel to Egypt and bring back ancient mummies with which they would hold "mummy unwrapping parties" for their friends.
epwen TIL that consumption of the Australian aquatic fern called Nardoo can cause you to starve if improperly prepared. The plant contains vast quantities of an enzyme that obliterates thiamine (vitamin B1), making your body unable to unlock energy from food, even if eating a full nutritious diet.
L4rd TIL that, during WWII, a US Naval destroyer won a battle against a Japanese submarine by throwing potatoes at them.