TIL about Cyrus the Great (c. 600–530 BC), who built the Persian empire (c. 550–330 BC) by respecting the people he conquered, putting an end to slavery in all his territory, and allowing all people (including Jews) to worship their own gods.
http://bit.ly/2WtKezA
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 05:03PM by wjbc
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZYzoUh
http://bit.ly/2WtKezA
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 05:03PM by wjbc
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZYzoUh
Wikipedia
Cyrus the Great - Wikipedia
King and founder of the Achaemenid Empire
TIL The “XXX” signifies how many times the moonshine batch had been run through the still. Three X’s indicated that it had been run through three times and that the shine was pure alcohol.
http://bit.ly/1e8y8O9
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 06:27PM by crashdaddy
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZZqPbU
http://bit.ly/1e8y8O9
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 06:27PM by crashdaddy
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZZqPbU
Moonshineheritage
What Does the XXX on Moonshine Jugs Mean? |
Moonshine Heritage | Exploring the History of Moonshine in the Appalachians
Moonshine Heritage | Exploring the History of Moonshine in the Appalachians
TIL that the United States Postal Service has about 1,700 employees in Utah who read anything that the automated systems can't read like illegible addresses. About 5 million pieces of mail are read at this location daily. Seasoned employees generally average about 1,600 addresses read per hour.
http://bit.ly/2Lpkm6P
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 06:22PM by speckz
via reddit http://bit.ly/2V5hStZ
http://bit.ly/2Lpkm6P
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 06:22PM by speckz
via reddit http://bit.ly/2V5hStZ
Smithsonian
Have Bad Handwriting? The U.S. Postal Service Has Your Back
Don’t worry, your Christmas gifts and cards will make it to their destination, even if your writing looks like chicken scratch
TIL after a unit conversion snafu, Air Canada flight 143 ran out of fuel at 41k feet. The pilot, who flew gliders in his downtime, brought the plane down on an abandoned airfield which was being used as a racing circuit and everyone got out alive with only minor injuries.
http://bit.ly/2J3WP9n
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 06:35PM by MistressGravity
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Jsha83
http://bit.ly/2J3WP9n
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 06:35PM by MistressGravity
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Jsha83
CBC
The metric error that almost ended in disaster | CBC Archives
In 1983 an Air Canada Boeing 767 runs out of gas high above Gimli, Man.
TIL The Amish are allowed to use computers and cell phones.
http://bit.ly/2xmyh5m
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 04:34PM by deanoplex
via reddit http://bit.ly/2vH7gXO
http://bit.ly/2xmyh5m
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 04:34PM by deanoplex
via reddit http://bit.ly/2vH7gXO
reddit
r/todayilearned - TIL The Amish are allowed to use computers and cell phones.
572 votes and 123 comments so far on Reddit
TIL that Russian has a similar proverb to "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" that literally translates to "poor people are crafty"
http://bit.ly/1Pmdtx9
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 07:11PM by InGordWeTrust
via reddit http://bit.ly/2V7hBH3
http://bit.ly/1Pmdtx9
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 07:11PM by InGordWeTrust
via reddit http://bit.ly/2V7hBH3
Wikipedia
Necessity is the mother of invention - Wikipedia
"Necessity is the mother of invention" is an English-language proverb. It means, roughly, that the primary driving force for most new inventions is a need.
TIL that the @ symbol was chosen for the first electronic mail because the developer "was mostly looking for a symbol that wasn’t used much."
http://bit.ly/2xIzT7b
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 07:35PM by notusuallyhostile
via reddit http://bit.ly/2V4QmfU
http://bit.ly/2xIzT7b
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 07:35PM by notusuallyhostile
via reddit http://bit.ly/2V4QmfU
Smithsonian
The Accidental History of the @ Symbol
Once a rarely used key on the typewriter, the graceful character has become the very symbol of modern electronic communication
TIL It is only called an acronym when you pronounce the abbreviation as a real word (ex. NASA), otherwise it's known as an initialism (ex. FBI)
http://bit.ly/1KBPPIt
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 10:00PM by zeamp
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LomLP6
http://bit.ly/1KBPPIt
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 10:00PM by zeamp
via reddit http://bit.ly/2LomLP6
Wikipedia
Acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed as an abbreviation from the initial components of a phrase or a word, usually individual letters (as in "NATO" or "laser") and sometimes syllables (as in "Benelux").
TIL that a New York University study found that people with easier-to-pronounce names have higher-status positions at work
http://bit.ly/2LrQHdg
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 12:05AM by emilylikesredditalot
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VRil7p
http://bit.ly/2LrQHdg
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 12:05AM by emilylikesredditalot
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VRil7p
Business Insider
13 surprising ways your name affects your success
What's in a name? Potentially your future.
TIL that Iron Man (2008) had no noscript. “They had no noscript, man. They had an outline.” Jeff Bridges described the improvised production of the first MCU film as being “saved by the improv prowess of the film’s director (Jon Favreau) and star. (Robert Downey Jr.)”
http://bit.ly/2V6aqyG
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 01:22AM by Skinipinis
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZZOZTs
http://bit.ly/2V6aqyG
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 01:22AM by Skinipinis
via reddit http://bit.ly/2ZZOZTs
io9
Jeff Bridges Admits Iron Man Movie Had No Script
Iron Man may have seemed as polished as fresh power-armor, but the movie actually had no screenplay at all, says Jeff Bridges. The chaos freaked him out, until he decided to think of it as a $200 million student film.
TIL in 1984, a episode of Thomas The Tank Engine featured an engine, Henry, who refused to go out in the rain. To solve the problem, the workers boarded Henry up in a cave and abandoned him.
http://bit.ly/2LALNLc
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 12:49AM by JT3C
via reddit http://bit.ly/2vIXapk
http://bit.ly/2LALNLc
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 12:49AM by JT3C
via reddit http://bit.ly/2vIXapk
Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
The Sad Story of Henry | Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia | FANDOM...
The Sad Story of Henry, renoscriptd Come Out, Henry! in American releases, is the third episode of the first series. It is a very rainy day on Sodor and a big green engine named Henry is pulling some...
TIL In 1968 the Ford Motor Co. set the value of a life at $200,000. When performing a risk/benefit analysis deciding if fixing a major fuel tank issue was worth paying $11 per car ($137M), or instead paying 200k per death (Est $50M). They didn't fix it, Which nearly ended up costing $145M in court.
http://bit.ly/1MupfSx
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 10:46PM by KingSulley
via reddit http://bit.ly/2DS0tPr
http://bit.ly/1MupfSx
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 10:46PM by KingSulley
via reddit http://bit.ly/2DS0tPr
reddit
r/todayilearned - TIL In 1968 the Ford Motor Co. set the value of a life at $200,000. When performing a risk/benefit analysis deciding…
2,290 votes and 157 comments so far on Reddit
TIL: A "hobo" is someone who travels and finds work. A "tramp" travels, but mostly does not work. A "bum" neither travels nor works.
http://bit.ly/2UGO8Z8
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 03:44AM by seamusoldfield
via reddit http://bit.ly/304GQNV
http://bit.ly/2UGO8Z8
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 03:44AM by seamusoldfield
via reddit http://bit.ly/304GQNV
Smithsonian
The Last of the Great American Hobos
Hop a train to Iowa, where proud vagabonds gather every summer to crown the new king and queen of the rails
TIL that we only know of Socrates second hand from his contemporaries like Plato and Xenophon, no original writings exist.
http://bit.ly/1EMeMNN
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 11:40PM by JefftheBaptist
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Y9uz8W
http://bit.ly/1EMeMNN
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 11:40PM by JefftheBaptist
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Y9uz8W
Wikipedia
Socrates - Wikipedia
classical Greek Athenian philosopher
TIL that Jeopardy was canceled twice before the current incarnation of the show. It ran for 11 years before it was canceled & the reboot only lasted 3 months. Alex Trebek was a producer who made the show "his own" leading to it's current & longtime success.
http://bit.ly/2JlhtRZ
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 08:28PM by poptart8341
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Ws95nn
http://bit.ly/2JlhtRZ
Submitted May 06, 2019 at 08:28PM by poptart8341
via reddit http://bit.ly/2Ws95nn
Good Housekeeping
A Fascinating Look Back at How Alex Trebek Got Started on 'Jeopardy!'
The famous host has seen the show through so many changes.
TIL an Assistant US Attorney focusing on sex predators was found in his car hundreds of miles away with 36 stab wounds including on his back and scrotum. In the blood there was an unidentified fingerprint. FBI ruled it suicide.
http://bit.ly/2LtywUn
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 09:32AM by jayjeroo
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VMGEU8
http://bit.ly/2LtywUn
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 09:32AM by jayjeroo
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VMGEU8
Morbidology
The Bizarre Death of Jonathan Luna • Morbidology
Jonathan Luna's body was discovered dotted with numerous stab wounds. His throat had been slit. He had defensive wounds. Nevertheless, the FBI concluded he committed suicide.
TIL The USA paid more for the construction of Central Park (1876, $7.4 million), than it did for the purchase of the entire state of Alaska (1867, $7.2 million).
http://bit.ly/2fJOoQ0
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 01:40PM by Swagalious4000
via reddit http://bit.ly/2YiHrtF
http://bit.ly/2fJOoQ0
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 01:40PM by Swagalious4000
via reddit http://bit.ly/2YiHrtF
Smithsonian
12 Secrets of New York’s Central Park
Learn some little-known facts about this NYC landmark
TIL that the Church of Scientology gained it's tax exempt status by having its members sue thousands of individual IRS employees, forcing them to all have to take time off to consult with lawyers and go to court, effectively shutting down the IRS and forcing them to give in to scientology's demands.
https://nyti.ms/2DUP7dF
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 03:37PM by Chicken-tendies
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WpGLlC
https://nyti.ms/2DUP7dF
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 03:37PM by Chicken-tendies
via reddit http://bit.ly/2WpGLlC
NY Times
Scientology's Puzzling Journey From Tax Rebel to Tax Exempt
Internal Revenue Service's surprise decision in Oct 1993 to grant Church of Scientology tax-exempt status reversed a 25-year-old policy and followed church's all-out war on IRS and people who work there; Scientology hired private investigators to probe IRS…
TIL: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and collard greens are all vegetables that were created from the same plant (wild mustard plant) by selectively breeding for certain modified traits like stem size and flower bud location
http://bit.ly/2vKb3Ug
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 03:05PM by naiim
via reddit http://bit.ly/2PQIYUF
http://bit.ly/2vKb3Ug
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 03:05PM by naiim
via reddit http://bit.ly/2PQIYUF
Business Insider
These 6 common vegetables are actually all the same plant
Meet Brassica Oleracea. You've been eating it for years.
TIL: Researchers examined more than 1,000 decisions by eight Israeli judges who ruled on convicts’ parole requests. Judges granted 65 percent of requests they heard at the beginning of the day’s session and almost none at the end. Right after a snack break, approvals jumped back to 65 percent again.
http://bit.ly/2w941Yv
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 01:19PM by jondavidbrooks
via reddit http://bit.ly/2H6qDQI
http://bit.ly/2w941Yv
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 01:19PM by jondavidbrooks
via reddit http://bit.ly/2H6qDQI
reddit
r/todayilearned - TIL: Researchers examined more than 1,000 decisions by eight Israeli judges who ruled on convicts’ parole requests.…
244 votes and 13 comments so far on Reddit
TIL about Boatswain (1803-1808), Lord Byron's beloved Newfoundland dog. When he contracted rabies Byron personally nursed him despite the risk. After he died Byron wrote the poem "Epitaph to a Dog" in his honour. His wish to be buried with Boatswain was denied. The dog's tomb is larger than Byron's.
http://bit.ly/26wzbFS
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 02:16PM by sofyflo
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VJwWBS
http://bit.ly/26wzbFS
Submitted May 07, 2019 at 02:16PM by sofyflo
via reddit http://bit.ly/2VJwWBS
Wikipedia
Epitaph to a Dog - Wikipedia
poem written by Lord Byron