› added 11 years ago

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TIL that “Fuck your ancestor to the eighteenth generation” is a Chinese insult, due to the high respect for one’s ancestors

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d8vLQ TIL Lèse-majesté is a French term meaning "to do wrong to majesty", is an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state. In Iceland for example, it can be punished by up to two years of imprisonment. For a very serious breach, the term can be extended to 6 years.
KOPA9 TIL George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson brought their own books to the White House and removed them at the end of their terms. It was not until 1850 that Millard and Abigail Fillmore established the first official White House collection
N71P1 TIL Bruce Almighty director Tom Shadyac suffered a head injury in 2007 and completely dropped out of the film industry afterward. He also sold a majority of his possessions and moved into a trailer park.
LQpv9 TIL: in the USA, only the president, a state governor, or the mayor of the D.C. can order flags to fly at half-staff. Reasons for flying at half staff are: The death of a government official, military member, or first responder, A national tragedy, Memorial Day or another national day of remembrance
WkQrL TIL in apartheid South Africa a "Pencil Test" determined if an ambiguous looking person was white, black or coloured. If the pencil passed through their hair with ease, they "passed", but if it didn't, it suggested Afro-textured hair and they'd be forced to live apart from the white community.