› added 4 years ago

71

TIL about Archie "The Greek" Karas, a gambler who turned $50 into $40M and lost it all in a year

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

lolla TIL Cancer death rates are down 25% since 1991, with 2.1 million deaths averted. The cancer death rate declines by about 1.5% annually in both men and women.
VBWbQ TIL: Pakistan’s Jahangir Khan, who overcame a congenital heart defect, went on to dominate squash with a 555-match win streak and 16 major titles, cementing his legacy as the greatest player in the sport’s history.
yVjGw TIL that archaeologists routinely find edible honey in ancient Egyptian tombs - the stuff never spoils, due to extremely low water-content, very low pH, and hydrogen peroxide (made by an enzyme in the bees' stomachs). How Cool!
0V1A TIL the Can-Can was originally considered scandalous as it became popular in the mid-19th century because many women of that time wore pantalettes, which had an open crotch, meaning that a high kick could be unintentionally revealing
d8x99 TIL the flags of many African nations have the colors green, gold and red borrowed from the flag of Ethiopia, which remained outside European control during the colonial era by defeating Italy. As a result, the country drew the admiration of many newly independent states in Africa.