› added 8 years ago

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TIL that when the Declaration of Independence was being drafted, Benjamin Franklin suggested that the word “sacred” be replaced with “self-evident” because he believed that the nation should be founded on reason, not faith.

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VDj0 TIL Harry Houdini wrote a book in 1909 called “Handcuff Secrets” in which he revealed many of the tricks behind his famous escapes.
neDxY TIL Shouting FIRE! in a crowded theater isn’t illegal. In U.S. v. Schenck, SCOTUS decided a pamphlet opposing the draft in WWI posed a "clear and present danger" to a nation at war. But it was overturned 40 years later.
jNdjn TIL George Stathakis went down Niagara Falls in a barrel. However, the barrel got stuck behind a curtain of water and he could not be recovered for 18 hours. He only had air supply for eight hours and died of suffocation. Stathakis went down with his 150 year old turtle, which survived the ordeal.
VWwQ TIL if people worship other gods, the Bible says you must not only kill those people, but kill everyone else in the town, and their animals, then take all of the town’s possessions to the middle of the public square, then burn all of the possessions, then burn the whole town down, and never rebuild.
oRp6r TIL - that Larry Silverstein owner of the twin towers received $4.6 billion insurance money following the 9/11 attacks. Settlement was reached in 2007 after a long legal battle whether there was 1 or 2 separate attacks. It was ruled as 2 attacks significantly increasing the insurance payout.