/f/todayilearned
TIL that traditional lacquer is made w urushiol sap, aka the rash-causing toxin in poison ivy & poison oak. In fact, "urushi" (as in "urushi-ol") is the Japanese for the Chinese lacquer tree (also toxic) & an English word for lacquerware. They all fall in the genus Toxicodendron, or "poison tree".
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by thedamnoftinkers t3_11f51u4
TIL that rapper MF DOOM never attained full US citizenship, despite living in the states for the majority of his life. Because of this, he was forced to live out the rest of his life in UK from 2010, following a “Born Like This” tour, until his death in 2020.
theguardian.comSubmitted by CEDAfwysj t3_10o01m4
TIL a sultan of Morocco, Isma‘il ibn Sharif, owned a private army called "The Black Guard" comprised of West African and Haratin slave-soldiers. Considered more loyal than the locals because of their lack of tribal affiliation, Isma‘il's black soldiers formed the bulk of his army, numbering at 150k.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by delano1998 t3_10tw9nu
Submitted by catfishgod t3_102jzzg
TIL in 1979, in between a double-header, the White Sox exploded a crate filled with disco records to stands of over 50k disco haters. Thousands flocked to the field afterward, which became so destroyed that they forfeit the 2nd game to the Tigers - the last time in AL history.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by JackMacWindowsLinux t3_122euus
Submitted by Zrgaloin t3_11h30tj
TIL that the NYC neighborhood of Marble Hill is part of Manhattan despite not being connected to Manhattan Island. Instead it is connected to the Bronx. It was separated from the island of Manhattan by the construction of the Harlem Ship Canal in 1895
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by IAmDavidGurney t3_10eucva
TIL that Point Roberts, Washington is a pene-exclave of Washington just south of Vancouver, Canada. It is attached to Canada by land but separated from the USA. It can only be reached from the USA by sea, air, or by driving 25 miles through Canada and then into Point Roberts, crossing two borders.
en.wikipedia.orgSubmitted by IAmDavidGurney t3_10hxt0o
Submitted by Key_Chemist_1 t3_z5hcy1