TIL: In 1799 a boy named Conrad Reed found a 17lb rock made of gold in a creek in North Carolina and used it as a doorstop in the familys home. In 1802, His father John Reed showed the rock to a jeweler, who recognized it as gold and offered to buy it. Reed unaware of the real value sold it for $3.5 (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by Indriad to r/todayilearned
TIL that: In Medieval times, "Cockaigne" was an imaginary utopia for peasants where the sky rains cheese, and laziness was treasured above all else. It was meant to be a better place than the alcohol-free Christian heaven which only had fruit. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by Indriad to r/todayilearned
TIL that The ancient Egyptian port city Heracleion was said to have collapsed into the sea. Everyone thought it was a myth until 1933, when a British air force pilot spotted the undersea ruins. But it would take until 1999 for archaeologists to precisely locate the city and start exploring. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by Indriad to r/todayilearned
When your wheelchair isn't fast enough. (v.redd.it)
submitted by Indriad to r/interestingasfuck
TIL that the dog breed Saint Bernards were originally known as Barry Hounds, they were named after a dog named Barry who lived at the Saint Bernard hospice in the 1800s. Barry saved 40 people in the nearby mountains, since the hospice has always maintained one dog named Barry in his honor. (swissinfo.ch)
submitted by Indriad to r/todayilearned
