/f/todayilearned
TIL that Alan Turing, the mathematician renowned for his contributions to computer science and codebreaking, converted his savings into silver during WW2 and buried it, fearing German invasion. However, he was unable to break his own code describing where it was hidden, and never recovered it.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by Mega_Dunsparce t3_yjbjga
TIL that in 1518, in the small French town of Strasbourg, a young woman named Frau Troffea started dancing uncontrollably in the street. Her dancing continued for days & on the 3rd day, her shoes were soaked with blood. She attracted 30+ people to join her, which catalyzed the Dancing Plague of 1518
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by DilankaMcLovin t3_yo8976
TIL In 1943, a Luftwaffe pilot came across a crippled B-17 trying to make it home after a bomb run. Instead of shooting it down, the German pilot escorted it home. The pilots met up 50 years later and became friends, and both died within a few months of each other
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by Free-Permit-1188 t3_yog3fc
TIL that the reason why Kinder Surprise eggs are illegal in the U.S. is because in 1937, over 100 people died due to highly toxic diethylene glycol in a new pharmacy drug. In response, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was passed, illegalizing food products that contain something inedible.
bitoftrivia.comSubmitted by FuriouSherman t3_yrydpa
TIL that over 5,000 dead fish, crabs, and other sea creatures were embedded in the ice skating rink at Space World in Japan. Some were arranged to spell "HELLO". Visitors called it a waste of life, so a memorial service was held and the fish repurposed as fertilizer.
cnbc.comSubmitted by Decapod73 t3_ysg1b7
TIL after singer Nat King Cole moved to an upper class L.A. neighborhood, the homeowners association told him they didn’t want “undesirables” moving in. Cole responded by saying “Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I’ll be the first to complain.”
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by DepthExternal6034 t3_yynt0m
TIL that photographer Carol Highsmith donated tens of thousands of her photos to the Library of Congress, making them free for public use. Getty Images later claimed copyright on many of these photos, then accused her of copyright infringement by using one of her own photos on her own site.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by Lagavulin16_neat t3_z0f10c