› added 12 years ago

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TIL that during the Nazi occupation of Greece, the mayor of the island of Zakynthos was ordered to make a list with the names of all Jews on the island. The list handed over to the Nazis contained two names: the mayor’s and the islands Bishop. All Zakynthos Jews survived the Holocaust.

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40Kw TIL that during WW2 a Spanish man convinced the Nazis that he was a spy living in London, and fed them false information. This grew to him working for Britain with captured spies, creating a fictional network of other spies, and being awarded a medal from both Britain AND Nazi Germany.
X0kkP TIL the original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It was intended to rival the Eiffel Tower, which was the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris Exposition.
Qpn6 TIL of target fixation, when a person is concentrating so much on avoiding something that he increases the chances of hitting it. Racecar drivers, fighter pilots, mountain bikers, and others moving at high speed can experience the issue.
epVDb TIL When random people of varying physical attractiveness get placed into a room, the most physically attractive people tend to seek out each other and to congregate with only each other.
d8M9Z TIL that the chestburster scene in Alien was inspired by the pains the writer suffered as a result of Crohn's Disease