› added 5 years ago

69

TIL the Russian Standard Bank was founded by entrepreneur Roustam Tariko in the 90s to circumvent the advertisement ban of alcohol in Russia and promote his Vodka, the Russian Standard. Today, it is the largest consumer bank in Russia and Tariko is one of the most successful bankers in Europe.

ENw7 TIL that seven states in the US ban atheists from holding public office. Which is unconstitutional, but still on the books.
nWevW TIL in the 1960s the US government dug a mile-deep hole in the ground and dropped a 40-kiloton atomic bomb in it, to release natural gas. It worked, but the gas was too radioactive to use, and the project was abandoned.
P15Pg TIL that Shirley Temple led an extremely successful life as a diplomat after her childhood acting career. She was present in Czechoslovakia when the Soviets cracked down on them. Later after the fall of the USSR, she was the head of establishing diplomatic relations between the US and Czechoslovakia
VXJ8 TIL When a Shakespearean actor has “dried” (forgotten their lines mid-scene), some will start “nubbing,” which means to make up a fake Shakespearean line on the spot. Usually their fake speech will contain the word “nub” or “nubbing” as a cue to their fellow actors that they are stuck.
ADnNg TIL Swedish band Roxette's success in the US is directly attributed to a Minnesotan who studied abroad in Sweden. He passed off their CD to a Minneapolis DJ and 'The Look' quickly became a fan favorite. Other stations followed suit and record label decided to take the act international.