/f/todayilearned
TIL: In 1986, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) held that US activities in Nicaragua, including laying mines in its ports, had violated international law. The US refused to participate in the proceedings and then rescinded its 40-year consent to the court's compulsory jurisdiction.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by theotherbogart t3_zwhyqt
TIL that in 1889, the Brazilian military, alongside slave-owning elites, organized a coup to overthrow emperor Pedro II for abolishing slavery. In response, a group of freed slaves organized themselves into a militia known as the Black Guard in order to guarantee the safety of the Imperial Family.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by lenny_the_pope t3_zwe90l
TIL Cleopatra was born of incest. "More than a dozen of Cleopatra’s ancestors tied the knot with cousins or siblings, and it’s likely that her own parents were brother and sister. In keeping with this custom, Cleopatra eventually married both of her adolescent brothers.
history.comSubmitted by 54_actual t3_zw4ppg
Submitted by Socketlint t3_zvbycz
TIL that yet another Christmas tradition, the burning of the Yule log for good luck, predates European Christianity and has its roots in paganism. Yule log burning is rooted in Germanic or Scandinavian paganism and associated with winter solstice rituals
sttammanylibrary.orgSubmitted by thepronoobkq t3_zv6p8m
TIL that a dump truck caused a New York City elevated freeway to collapse in 1973. The truck was found to have been 9 tons overloaded and the company operating it was blamed. The contract to clean up the results of the failure was subsequently awarded to the same company.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by iAmAddicted2R_ddit t3_zusp5k
TIL Ozzy Osbourne gave up taking acid during the recording of Black Sabbath's Volume 4. He said “I took 10 tabs of acid then went for a walk in a field. I ended up standing there talking to this horse for about an hour. In the end the horse turned round and told me to fuck off. That was it for me.”
nme.comSubmitted by hanky1979 t3_zu5zsz