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TIL George the Lobster is the oldest recorded lobster ever, estimated to be 140 years old (born ~1869) at the time of his capture in 2008 off the coast of Newfoundland. He was released back into the wild in 2009 and it is unknown if he remains alive today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_(lobster)
https://redd.it/1glso1l
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TIL Chinese eunuchs, who had both the penis and testicles cut off with a knife at once to qualify as high-ranking civil servants. Eunuchs were considered 'pure', while those under ten were termed 'thoroughly pure'. This system lasted from 146 AD until 1924, and the last Imperial eunuch died in 1996.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunuchs_in_China
https://redd.it/1glr2go
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TIL about the 2009 satellite collision where two satellites crashed into each other. Three years later a piece of debris from that collision passed the ISS at a distance of 120 m (390 ft) and all crew members had to take refuge inside two docked spacecraft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_satellite_collision
https://redd.it/1gl9qnh
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TIL that when the Luftwaffe were struggling against the Royal Air Force in WW2, Reichsmarschall Göring asked young flying ace Adolf Galland what was needed to defeat the British pilots. Galland said, "a squadron of Spitfires."
https://www.sps-aviation.com/story/?id=2469&h=Spitfire-andmdash;-Scourge-of-the-Luftwaffe
https://redd.it/1gl0ux9
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TIL that Glow Sticks were found to break multiple consumer protection laws in 2014. "The use of dibutyl phthalate in glow sticks, considered to be toys, is a violation of the law" and in seven out of nine cases, the chemical ingredients did not match what was reported.
https://www2.mst.dk/Udgiv/publications/2013/08/978-87-93026-41-4.pdf
https://redd.it/1gfsgg3
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TIL over 70% of Irish men are hazardous drinkers according to the WHO's AUDIT-C screen tool
https://www.hrb.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HRB_Alcohol_Overview_Series_11.pdf
https://redd.it/1gfwmmy
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TIL about Herman Davis, a World War I soldier renowned for his extraordinary marksmanship. With just his Springfield rifle and open sights, he took out five enemy soldiers from 1,000 yards away. He humbly described it as “just a good shootin' distance.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Davis
https://redd.it/1gfvmu5
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TIL of Ronald McIntosh. He was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for escaping prison, stealing a helicopter, and landing it at another prison’s exercise yard to pick up his convict girlfriend Samantha Lopez. They were caught 10 days later by the FBI.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_helicopter_prison_escapes
https://redd.it/1gfl5nz
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TIL That during the filming of 'Dazed and Confused' Milla Jovovich, then 16, married her onscreen boyfriend Shawn Andrews who was 21. Jovovich's mother had the marriage annulled two months later.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milla_Jovovich?wprov=sfla1
https://redd.it/1gfsvx3
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TIL there is a whale known as the 52-hertz whale (also known as 52 Blue) of an unidentified species that has never been sighted, but has been heard and known to exist since the late 1980s. There was also a feature length documentary about it that Leonardo DiCaprio was an executive producer for.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/52-hertz_whale
https://redd.it/1gf76iq
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TIL About The Axeman of New Orlean's, a serial killer who attacked 12 people with an axe and was never caught.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axeman_of_New_Orleans#In_popular_culture
https://redd.it/1gf1olm
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TIL that the Six Flags theme parks are named after the six flags that flew over Texas including the confederate flag, the American flag, the Spanish flag, the Mexican flag, the French flag, and the Republic of Texas flag.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_flags_over_Texas
https://redd.it/1gf2mkj
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TIL that Natalie Portman has had papers published in two scientific journals. While at Harvard, she co-authored a study called “Frontal Lobe Activation during Object Permanence: Data from Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.”
https://www.themarysue.com/natalie-portman-scientific-paper/
https://redd.it/1geuctm
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TIL I learned that in 2012 a man sued Mountain Dew for finding a mouse in a can. They defended themselves by arguing that if it was in the can for 15 months, the mouse would have dissolved. The case was settled.
https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2012/08/08/Mountain-Dew-mouse-case-dissolves-as-PepsiCo-settles
https://redd.it/1gf63ka
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TIL The stability–instability paradox states that when two countries each have nuclear weapons, the probability of a direct war between them greatly decreases, but the probability of minor or indirect conflicts between them increases.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stability%E2%80%93instability_paradox
https://redd.it/1ge6u4e
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TIL in 1916, Woodrow Wilson ran for re-election on the slogan "He kept us out of war," promising to maintain neutrality during World War I. But shortly after his surprise win, he led the US into the war in 1917, sparking significant backlash and dramatically shifting the nation's foreign policy.
https://www.history.com/news/14-point-plan-woodrow-wilson-world-war-i
https://redd.it/1glpf5v
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TIL Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve Corporation, has an armada of luxury yachts worth around $1 billion.
https://luxurylaunches.com/transport/gabe-newell-luxury-yachts.php
https://redd.it/1gm0pfl
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TIL that Dogs are able to smell the difference between ground that has been recently stepped on vs undistributed ground, as foot steps release moisture from the soil and can damage vegetation which would release odors
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_(dog)
https://redd.it/1gl3csf
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TIL because US constitutional amendment ratification doesn't have a deadline, the amendment proposed in 1861 for making slavery constitutionally protected could in theory still be ratified
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corwin_Amendment
https://redd.it/1gl8jw6
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TIL that Queen Victoria was the shortest of all British monarchs with height of only 1.52 m
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_monarchy_records
https://redd.it/1gfrlg5
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TIL Kellogg's cofounder John Kellogg ran a sanitarium in Battle Creek MI where his cereals were part of the patient's diet. Future competitor CW Post was a patient in 1891, settled in the same town and started selling his own knock-offs of Kellogg's cereals and even opened his own sanitarium in 1892
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harvey_Kellogg#Patents_and_inventions
https://redd.it/1gfohr9
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TIL that the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby in 1963 was broadcast live on national television and is the first known human killing seen live on TV.
https://guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-murder-on-television
https://redd.it/1gfp8l2
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TIL KitKat filling is made from broken KitKats
https://www.delicious.com.au/food-files/article/you-know-kitkat-filling-made-broken-kitkats/jmcj29fl
https://redd.it/1gfy79p
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TIL a teen who had a diet of French fries, Pringles, white bread, and an occasional slice of ham or sausage was found to have severe vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition damage, and he had developed blind spots in the middle of his vision. It is stated that his sight loss is permanent.
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49551337
https://redd.it/1gfr2k3
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TIL that sloths can starve to death on a full stomach
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/34C4dGp1kqnbs5MT7TZQN44/10-incredible-facts-about-the-sloth
https://redd.it/1gesrjc
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TIL that flat-faced dog breeds like pugs and bulldogs suffer from a condition called "brachycephalic syndrome", which causes significant respiratory issues due to their compressed skull structure. This trait is bred purely for appearance but can result in chronic breathing problems and even death.
https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/brachycephalic-syndrome
https://redd.it/1gewa69
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TIL the "Redwood of the East" - a 100ft-tall tree that once covered 25% of Eastern US forests, produced tons of food, and built America's industrial backbone - lost 99.9% of its population to a catastrophic blight.
https://tacf.org/history-american-chestnut/
https://redd.it/1gewrj0
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TIL Nic Cage hired an alcoholic to follow him around so he could emulate his behaviour for Leaving Las Vegas.
https://www.eonline.com/news/973956/nicolas-cage-once-hired-someone-to-be-his-drinking-coach-for-a-role#:~:text=However%2C%20upon%20a%20suggestion%20from,be%20his%20%22drinking%20coach.%22
https://redd.it/1gf6rwm
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TIL The exercise paradox, also known as the workout paradox, refers to the finding that physical activity, while essential for maintaining overall health, does not necessarily lead to significant weight loss or increased calorie expenditure.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_paradox
https://redd.it/1gduk97
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TIL Professionals in psychology and related fields have long looked upon sarcasm negatively, particularly noting that sarcasm tends to be a 'Maladaptive coping mechanism' for those with 'unresolved anger' or 'frustration'. One psychologist has even described it as 'hostility disguised as humour'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
https://redd.it/1gdvhzp
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