› added 13 years ago

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TIL the Swiss Guard, known now as the guys in the silly costumes that stand around the Vatican holding spears, once stood against an army as it sacked Rome. 189 Guard stood against 20,000 invaders at the Vatican long enough for Pope Clement VII to escape the city.

e046n TIL of the Secession of the Plebs. A form of protest where Rome's non-aristocratic citizens would leave the city en masse leaving the aristocratic Patricians to fend for themselves.
oBkEo TIL In 1670 a native american tribe decided to travel to Europe to sell pelts after being scammed by colonists. They spent months building a fleet of ships only to have rough sea destroy it as soon as they began the voyage, the natives were saved by the British who then sold them into slavery.
wAVP TIL that Washington DC contributes more in federal taxes than 19 states, yet citizens only have one nonvoting representative in the House, none in Senate, and had no electoral votes until 1961. Some say it is “Taxation without Representation” and the UN has cited the US on the issue since 2006.
JYXn8 TIL The "Never argue with a fool" quote lacks proof crediting it to Mark Twain. The oldest suspected source is biblical proverbs 26:4 and 26:5: "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Or you will also be like him. Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes."
j6KyQ TIL that Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" was not intended to be released as a single. They were later convinced to do so by Michael Jackson who had attended a Queen concert in Los Angeles and suggested it to Freddie Mercury backstage.