Recent comments in /f/todayilearned

Limp_Distribution t1_ja909pf wrote

Reply to comment by marmorset in TIL that in the period of time since the introduction of the consumer price index, the highest inflation rate observed in the U.S. was 20.49% in 1917. by ringopendragon

I wish more people understood this point. The government has changed how it calculates the CPI and I believe things like rent are not on the list. So, if I’m right, rents going up does nothing to inflation. That’s fucked

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Sarkasmus-detektor t1_ja8z4jq wrote

Reply to TIL On Christmas Eve 1969, Francisco Macias Nguema had 186 suspected dissidents executed in the national football stadium in Malabo with the executioners dressed as Santa Claus, with the amplifiers played Mary Hopkin's song "Those Were the Days". by Osrever101

"On Christmas Eve 1969, he had 186 suspected dissidents executed in the national football stadium in Malabo with the executioners dressed as Santa Claus. While the executions were going on, amplifiers played Mary Hopkin's song "Those Were the Days". 150 were shot or hanged with the remaining 36 being ordered to dig ditches in which they were buried up to their necks and eaten alive by red ants over the next few days."

Thats some fucked up stuff!

163

anonymity_is_bliss t1_ja8y0jv wrote

Reply to comment by RhyminSimonWyman in TIL a year after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the English sent their own Armada to Spain, leading to similar losses of ships and men, and an ignominious English defeat by malektewaus

Not to mention Canada has many more than the United States so it's not even an ex-british colony thing.

Like I'm 90% sure the whole manifest destiny thing skewed the statistics for native population too much to consider. Canada sure hasn't been angels with theirs (shoutout to Saskatoon RCMP), but simply trying to reduce it to Spanish vs English is a vast oversimplification of a complex issue given nearly every country handled it differently.

Also not to mention Argentina, where the native population is minuscule, and India (where they have the biggest native population despite being under the British Raj for a long time).

It's just a stupid notion that Brits were more vicious than conquistadors; they were both awful in their own special ways. The resulting native populations, although decimated by the conquerors, suffered under both.

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pmjdang t1_ja8xurx wrote

Reply to comment by detox02 in TIL that the Slurpee was invented by accident when a Dairy Queen owner would provide frozen soda, from a cooler, to customers when his soda fountain would break down. The owner, Omar Knedlik, improvised the Icee machine out of car parts, which was eventually licensed by 7-11, to become the Slurpee. by jdward01

They got royalties from 7-Eleven for the machine, but I believe he founded the Icee company, so they were getting paid, until they sold the company.

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ScissorMeeTimbers t1_ja8xmox wrote

Reply to comment by Azzizzi in TIL Sheriff Jordan, the leader of the posse that killed Bonnie & Clyde, attempted to keep the stolen car in which they were ambushed and shot to death. The car's legal owner sued the Sheriff for possession of the car then drove it to Shreveport, still covered with blood & human tissue. by Shark-Farts

Absurd that his buddy just watched and got away with it and then bragged about getting money and fame out of it. Some people can’t see hell fast enough

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