Random Facts (17 pics)

1

"TIL: Maryland was a slave state that sided with the Union, but in 1864, they actually had a referendum to abolish slavery. It narrowly failed - until the absentee ballots from the soldiers at the front came in, at which point it overwhelmingly succeeded."

2

"TIL that dogs intentionally try to make humans laugh. They understand that laughter means play, and play is positive."

3

"TIL that the Australian Ibis (aka bin chickens) have learned how to eat the invasive and poisonous cane toad. They do this by picking the toad up, shaking it around to get it to expell its poison and empty is poison sacs, then washing the poison off with water."

4

"TIL about a phenomenon called "delayed implantation" in grizzly bears. The embryo will start gestation only after the mama bear has gained enough weight to avoid death by starvation during hibernation."

5

"TIL: A US Air Force cadet was reading about WWII when he stumbled upon the name of a janitor that worked at his USAF Academy. That’s how it was discovered at the academy that that janitor was a Medal of Honor recipient."

6

"TIL 1 in 5 CEOs have psychopathic tendencies."

7

"TIL that in 1973, two brothers, an 18-year-old and a 10-year-old stayed in Tom Sawyer's River at Disneyland past closing time. When they tried to swim to leave, the older brother carried his younger brother, who didn't know how to swim, on his back and drowned. The younger survived."

8

"TIL The Green Bay Packers (NFL) is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States."

9

"TIL that Nelson Rockefeller, once Vice President of the United States, died at age 70 of a heart attack rumoured to be caused during sex with his 25 year old assistant. The New York Magazine quipped: "Nelson thought he was coming, but he was going"."

10

"TIL that the leader of the Crips, Stanley Williams, lived a double life where during the day, he was an anti-gang youth counselor, and at night acted as the overboss of the Crips, committing violent gang crimes against the Bloods."

11

"TIL the next periodical emergence of the 13- and 17-year cicada broods is 2024. The last time these insects co-emerged was 221 years ago while Thomas Jefferson was president."

12

"TIL of the antimony pill, aka the everlasting pill, used in the 18th and early 19th century for stomach relief. It was reusable after pooping it out, making it very cost effective. Entire families used the same pill, which some times went through multiple generations."

13

"TIL that Sigourney Weaver earned $1,000,000 and a share of the profits for Aliens (1986), whereas she earned only $35,000 for Alien (1979)."

14

"TIL that only about 20% of homes in the UK are completely detached with zero shared walls, whereas, almost 85% of homes in the US are detached."

15

"TIL that sharks do not produce sounds that humans can hear. Out of the 400-500 species, no organ capable of producing sound has ever been found."

16

"TIL: Giant Tortoises lacked a scientific name for 300 years; as sailors devoured them on return trips."