› added 4 years ago

70

TIL that in medieval england they used notched wooden sticks as receipt for taxes. This was in use until the XIX century when they decided to destroy the "records"... and it provoked the 1834 fire that consumed the Palace of Westminster.

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eN7g TIL Adolf Hitler’s nephew William Patrick Hitler served in the US Navy in World War II and was awarded a Purple Heart. After attempting to benefit from his uncle’s rise to power in Germany, he turned against him and eventually settled in the USA
NXA7N TIL that when "The Pirate Queen" Grace O'Malley's sons were taken captive by the English, she convinced Queen Elizabeth to free them AND let O'Malley continue her piratical activities as long as she also defended the Crown
R5kX7 TIL that Harvard University spent $26,000 on a 5' x 5' gatehouse which had to be redesigned over 300 times to meet the requirements of the Cambridge Historical Commission
9Yy6M TIL in Germany killing a European hornet or nest has been illegal since January 1, 1987, with a fine up to €50,000
x67Yw TIL that 16.3 million of the 16.4 million Americans who served in WW2 are dead