TIL in WWI, half of the French army mutinied in 1917. Soldiers remained in trenches, but refused orders to attack after the failure of the Nivelle Offensive, which General Nivelle promised a 48 hour victory. The mutinies were heavily suppressed by the French and were not fully disclosed until 1967.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1917_French_Army_mutinies
#til #todayilearned
TIL Senna remains a national hero in Brazil. His grave attracts more visitors than the graves of John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley combined.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayrton_Senna
#til #todayilearned
TIL about a Burial Tax: a local tax was in place requiring a fee to be paid for "perpetual" burial. Some bodies for which the tax was not paid were disinterred and are in a museum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummies_of_Guanajuato
#til #todayilearned
TIL about "Squash Hands," a reaction to the hands that can sometimes occur when handling raw Butternut Squash. The squash's skin has an irritant that can cause a tight feeling in the hands, as well as skin peeling.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/squash-hands-8401480
#til #todayilearned
TIL The policeman John Parker, who was assigned to guard the entrance to Lincoln’s box at Fords Theater, was not immediately fired after he was assassinated. He was even assigned to guard Mary Todd Lincoln afterwards, though she quickly dismissed him. He was only fired in 1868 for sleeping on duty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frederick_Parker
#til #todayilearned
TIL in the middle of October, 1994, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, and Jurassic Park were all in US cinemas at the same time (respectively 1st, 8th, 11th and 141st in IMDB all time top 250)
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/1994W41/?ref_=bo_we_nav
#til #todayilearned
TIL that plants can be albino, too. They have no chloroplasts and produce no chlorophyll of their own, so they either die early, or adapt to become parasites of the plants closest to them, and steal nutrients from them. Like vampire plants. Crazy!
https://www.earth.com/news/albino-plants-without-chlorophyll/
#til #todayilearned
TIL that worldwide, more than 10 percent of marriages are between first or second cousins.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1g3wwg1/til_that_worldwide_more_than_10_percent_of/
TIL Bananas glow blue under black lights.
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1g2ee3p/til_bananas_glow_blue_under_black_lights/
TIL the smallest hoofed animals are called Java mouse-deer, not much bigger than ordinary rats
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_mouse-deer
#til #todayilearned
TIL: Former Red Ranger, from Power Rangers : Wild Force, is in jail over murdering his roommate with a sword. The argument involved his girlfriend.
https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-39452035
#til #todayilearned
TIL The Amazing Jonathan, late comedian and magician, was married to, and managed by, Anastasia Synn, a transhumanist, biohacker, and cyborg rights activist. She holds the Guinness World Record for most technological implants in the female body and has the largest magnet ever implanted in a person.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasia_Synn
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1fx4g1t/til_the_amazing_jonathan_late_comedian_and/
TIL of mut'ah, a "marriage" contract lasting an hour that is practiced by Shia people which acts as a form of legal prostitution in Iraq, Iran, and other areas with notable Shia population
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikah_mut%27ah
#til #todayilearned
TIL that all 8 confirmed grolar bears (grizzly - Polar hybrid) since 2006 have come from the same female polar bear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly%E2%80%93polar_bear_hybrid
#til #todayilearned
TIL that mentally disabled patients at the Judge Rotenberg Center aren't allowed to talk to each-other and will get punised if they do so, employees also can't chat with other employees, it's even encouraged for employees to rat each-other out if they try to have conversation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Rotenberg_Center
#til #todayilearned
TIL that the Centralia Mine Fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania has been burning continuously since at least 1962. It stretches across 8 miles (13km) & at depths of up to 300ft (90m). It has made the surrounding land unstable & the residents were relocated
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia_mine_fire
#til #todayilearned
TIL that astronauts recycle urine and sweat into drinking water
https://abcnews.go.com/US/nasa-98-astronauts-urine-sweat-recycled-drinking-water/story?id=100406385
#til #todayilearned
TIL Black Sabbath's debut album in 1970 began with the sound of rain and a distant church bell. 43 years later, in 2013, their final album ended with the sound of rain and a distant church bell.
https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/black-sabbath/black-sabbath-13
#til #todayilearned
TIL that many British people don’t rinse the soap off their dishes after washing them, and this practice is actually due to a fairy liquid advertisement that promoted their soap as not needing rinsing
https://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,,-185700,00.html
#til #todayilearned
TIL Pigs can play video games with their snouts, scientists find
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56023720
#til #todayilearned
