TIL of Samuel Upham, a Philadelphia merchant who printed over $15 million Confederate dollars from 1862-63. The fake notes widely circulated in the South. When investigated by the US Government, his case was dismissed as it's not illegal to counterfeit currency of a country not recognized by the US. (phillymag.com)
submitted by blueberrisorbet
TIL about the 1927 Bath School Massacre in Michigan. An electrician angry over a school millage increase spent most of a year sneaking hundreds of lbs of dynamite and pyrotyl into the new school building, detonating it at the first school bell killing 38 children. Earlier that day he killed his wife (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by DariusMDeV
TIL about Jon Lech Johansen, a self-trained software engineer who created software that decoded DVD copy protection. Johansen defended himself against computer hacking charges, arguing he didn't access anyone else's information: he owned the DVDs. He was acquitted in 2003. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by WouldbeWanderer
TIL supersonic flight was made possible because of the 'flying tailplane', where the rear wing moved as one surface as opposed to flaps at the back of the wing. At near Mach speeds a planes nose is forced downward due to 'Mach tuch', the flying tailplane allowed pilots to maintain control. (nationalgeographic.co.uk)
submitted by Status-Victory
TIL that less than half of all societies kiss with their lips, according to a study of 168 cultures from around the world and a professor of anthropology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas found that only 46% use lip-to-lip kissing in a romantic sense, excluding things like parent-child kissing. (bbc.com)
submitted by anon7935678
TIL the longest word ever used in literature is from a 391 BC work by Aristophanes: Lopadotemachoselachogaleokranioleipsanodrimhypotrimmatosilphiokarabomelitokatakechymenokichlepikossyphophattoperisteralektryonoptekephalliokigklopeleiolagoiosiraiobaphetraganopterygon (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by floralbutttrumpet
TIL in the 18th century, rich people usually owned a large wig for formal occasions and a smaller one to wear at home. Wigs were a status symbol and were also the target of thieves due to how costly some of them were. Those who couldn't afford wigs tried to make their real hair look like one. (fashion-history.lovetoknow.com)
submitted by dilettantedebrah
TIL: Why the freezing and boiling temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit are 32 and 212 . Daniel Fahrenheit did not use the freezing point of water as a basis for developing his scale. He called the temperature of an ice/salt/water mixture 'zero degrees'. It was the lowest temperature he could attain. (physlink.com)
submitted by drakejones99
