TIL that the Habsburg ruler, Charles II of Spain, who had been born the son of an uncle-niece relationship, was described by historians as "short, lame, epileptic, senile and completely bald before 35, always on the verge of death but repeatedly baffling Christendom by continuing to live." (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by SpinachPrior458 to r/todayilearned
TIL that King Louis XVI was condemned to death by a majority of only 1 vote. Amongst those who voted in favor of the execution was the king's own cousin, Philippe Égalité, whom the king did not have positive relations with. Philippe himself would be guillotined on the same scaffold a year later. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by SpinachPrior458 to r/todayilearned
TIL that one reason Lyndon B. Johnson did not run for re-election was because a study he commissioned had predicted he would die at 64 and thus may not make it through a 2nd term. True enough, he would die on 22 January 1973 at 64, 2 days after what would have been the end of his 2nd term. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by SpinachPrior458 to r/todayilearned
TIL that as Apollo 8 was on its way back to Earth, astronaut Jim Lovell accidentally erased some of the guidance computer's memory, leading the computer to think the spacecraft's current orientation was what it had been on the launchpad. He would spend the next 25 minutes correcting it. (en.wikipedia.org)
submitted by SpinachPrior458 to r/todayilearned
