[TIL] The first documented gold found in the United States was discovered by 12-year-old John Reed, who pulled a 17-pound gold nugget from a North Carolina creek. Unsure of the substance, Reed's family used the nugget as a doorstop for several years before selling it to a jeweler for $3.50.
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 02:56PM by littlesonnybear
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 02:56PM by littlesonnybear
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Our State
North Carolina: The Golden State | Our State
Two centuries ago, a young boy’s accidental discovery in Cabarrus County led to the first gold rush in the United States. For 50 years, North Carolina led the nation in gold production and gave a…
TIL that Hiram Maxim took out ads in the local paper to warn his neighbours in West Norwood on the days he was planning to test-fire his prototype machine gun in the back garden
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 01:02PM by johnlen1n
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https://ift.tt/3eN7jJe
Submitted May 14, 2021 at 01:02PM by johnlen1n
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Wikipedia
Hiram Maxim
American-born inventor
TIL Sun Li Jen, a commander in the ROC in WW2 is known as “Rommel of the East” due to his military achievements in various campaigns. He is named the most capable Chinese field commander in WW2. He spent his last 30 years under house arrest in Taiwan due to suspicions on collaborating with the CIA.
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 04:21PM by TanJeeSchuan
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 04:21PM by TanJeeSchuan
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Wikipedia
Sun Li-jen
Sun Li-jen (traditional Chinese: 孫立人; simplified Chinese: 孙立人; pinyin: Sūn Lìrén; December 8, 1900 – November 19, 1990) was a Chinese Nationalist (KMT) general, a graduate of Virginia Military Institute, best known for his leadership in the Second Sino-Japanese…
TIL that during WW1, the MI5 used Girl Guides to deliver secret messages. They used Girl Guides instead of Boy Scouts because they found out that Boy Scouts weren't efficient enough, boisterous and talkative.
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 07:36PM by sylviette_pancakes
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 07:36PM by sylviette_pancakes
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TIL: Brazil forbids anyone to visit the island "Ilha da Queimada Grande" without a special permit. It's crawling with the endangered Golden Lancehead Vipers and its venom is so strong it can melt human flesh. Poachers visit the island because specimens can fetch $10-30K on the black market.
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 05:06PM by OvidPerl
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https://ift.tt/2QiL2cB
Submitted May 14, 2021 at 05:06PM by OvidPerl
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India Today
Snakes on this Brazilian island are so venomous, they can melt human flesh
Ilha da Queimada Grande in Brazil has been called one of the world's deadliest islands because it has the highest concentration of venomous snakes anywhere in the world.
TIL it’s legal in the US for companies to sell or lease human bodies that have been “donated to science.” Many donated bodies have to be paid for by researchers, and funeral homes earn a kickback for every “donation.”
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 09:41PM by thegoldinthemountain
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 09:41PM by thegoldinthemountain
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U.S.
Special Report: U.S. company makes a fortune selling bodies donated to science
In 2008, a thriving company named Science Care Inc developed a 55-page national expansion plan. The internal document projected the yield on raw material to the decimal point and earnings to the dollar.
TIL screenwriter Carl Foreman (High Noon) was blacklisted for communist activity. In the face of intense industry all Foreman's colleagues abandoned him expect for Gary Cooper. In gratitude, Foreman gave Cooper first refusal on his future noscripts including, The Bridge on the River Kwai.
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 09:59PM by Ok-Needleworker-8876
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 09:59PM by Ok-Needleworker-8876
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Wikipedia
Gary Cooper
American actor (1901-1961)
TIL For the movie Star Wars, the sound designer for the Stormtrooper's blasters came up with the sound of the blaster during a family backpacking trip. He hit the guy-wire of an AM radio transmitter tower with a hammer and recorded the sound with a microphone close to the impact.
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 03:21PM by greatminds1
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Submitted May 14, 2021 at 03:21PM by greatminds1
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Wikipedia
Blaster (Star Wars)
fictional type of personal laser weapon from Star Wars
TIL there's a material called FOGBANK that's used by the US Department of Energy that's so top secret and compartmentalized, that the government once actually "forgot" how to make it due to a lack of actual records and dwindling institutional knowledge
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 12:57AM by LifterPuller
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https://ift.tt/3fpAQYy
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 12:57AM by LifterPuller
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Wikipedia
FOGBANK
material used in US nuclear weapons
TIL In 1911 The Rigby family included their cat Tom in their census form. 'Tom Cat' was listed as being an 8-year old, married Mouse-Catcher, Soloist and Thief with 16 children. His birthplace was listed as Cheshire and he was described as being 'speechless' in the infirmity section of the form.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 03:13AM by Szabo84
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 03:13AM by Szabo84
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Findmypast - Genealogy, Ancestry, History blog from Findmypast
7 surprising finds in the 1911 census | Blog
Meet the quarrelsome, stubborn, greedy, vain and noisy individuals recorded in the 1911 Census...
TIL the lowest paid job in the United Kingdom is pursuivant to the King of Arms. The wage is £13.95 per year. The position hasn't seen a wage rise since the 1500s. Their job is to advise the monarchy on matters of ceremony.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 12:28AM by MarmiteKorv
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 12:28AM by MarmiteKorv
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TIL that a 2005 survey by the British Cheese Board reported that Stilton cheese seemed to cause unusual dreams, with 75 per cent of men and 85 per cent of women experiencing "odd and vivid" dreams after eating a serving of the cheese half an hour before sleeping.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 03:02AM by jcd1974
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https://ift.tt/3w8YBuA
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 03:02AM by jcd1974
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Wikipedia
Stilton cheese
type of English cheese
TIL, Mao Zedong didn’t brush his teeth. Instead, he rinsed his mouth with tea, then chewed the leaves. This left Mao with green, rooting teeth and gums that oozed puss. When encouraged by his physician to brush, Mao would respond, “Does a tiger brush his teeth?”
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 02:38PM by vaish7848
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 02:38PM by vaish7848
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Grunge.com
The Disgusting Truth About Mao Zedong's Personal Hygiene
In 2013, Business Insider wrote that deceased Communist dictator Mao Zedong was "still bigger than Jesus" in China. He was probably even bigger than John Lennon. But his personal hygiene was more disgusting than the devil himself.
TIL that speed readers were asked to read a text without knowing that every other line came from a different source yet they didn't notice it. In another study, speed readers scored 68% in a standard comprehension test, but the tests were so easy that people who never read the material scored 57%
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 02:27PM by mvpetri
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 02:27PM by mvpetri
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The Straight Dope
Does speed reading training actually work?
Dear Cecil:
What's the straight dope on speed reading? Evelyn Wood commercials in the late 70s showed people casually zipping through impressive-looking tomes, apparently having benefited from one...
What's the straight dope on speed reading? Evelyn Wood commercials in the late 70s showed people casually zipping through impressive-looking tomes, apparently having benefited from one...
TIL the first vending machine to sell live crabs debuted in 2010 in a train station in Nanjing. The machine sells about 200 live crabs a day, with prices from $2 to $7. A sign next to the machine states each crab will come out alive, offering refund of three live crabs for every dead one to pop out.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 12:10PM by The_Internet_Author
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https://ift.tt/3yfs2gr
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 12:10PM by The_Internet_Author
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Bizarrefood
Live Crab Vending Machines – Bizarre Food Blog
Live Crab Vending Machines in Nanjing China
TIL that during renovation works to the Statue of Liberty before centennial celebrations in 1986, engineers found numerous defects when it was originally designed and constructed. These include the head being two metres off centre, and the right arm not being properly attached.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 02:31PM by johnlen1n
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https://ift.tt/3fjLDTT
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 02:31PM by johnlen1n
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Wikipedia
Conservation-restoration of the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty's 1984-1986 restoration
TIL in 1977, Ben Cohen was a struggling potter & Jerry Greenfield was getting rejected by medical schools. The pair decided to open a bagel shop, but the cost of bagel machines was too high. As a result, they enrolled in a $5 ice cream making course instead. A year later, they created Ben & Jerry's
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 06:09PM by suzukigun4life
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 06:09PM by suzukigun4life
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Time
Ben & Jerry's Is Turning 40. Here's How They Captured a Trend That Changed American Ice Cream
Their first store opened on May 5, 1978
TIL, Jürgen Hinzpeter was the the only journalist to film massacres during the government supression of the democratic uprising in the South Korean city of Gwangju in 1980. His footage was delivered to Germany and broadcast worldwide. In 2000s, he was honored by South Korea for his efforts.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 05:36PM by vaish7848
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https://ift.tt/33Sirhj
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 05:36PM by vaish7848
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Wikipedia
Jürgen Hinzpeter
German journalist
TIL in order to misguide Japanese bombers the Taj Mahal was disguised with a huge scaffold which made it look like a stockpile of bamboos. The idea worked and was used again in 1971 at the time of Indo-Pak War.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 07:12PM by origen413
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https://ift.tt/3ohZuhA
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 07:12PM by origen413
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www.mensxp.com
You'll Be Amazed To Know How The Taj Mahal Was Protected During World War-II
You would have never thought about this!
TIL Kim Kardashian's 2007 sex tape continues to be a stable income for her, with $360K in yearly sales.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 06:32PM by iajzz
via reddit https://ift.tt/2RePObM
https://ift.tt/33MKKhq
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 06:32PM by iajzz
via reddit https://ift.tt/2RePObM
CINEMABLEND
How Much Ray J Still Makes From The Kim Kardashian Sex Tape
You are not going to believe how much money Ray J and Kim Kardashian still make from that notorious sex tape. Find out the details here.
TIL that in 2006, a woman farted on a plane and tried to cover up the smell by lighting matches, causing an emergency landing and an FBI investigation. Although she was not charged in the incident, she was also not allowed back on the plane.
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Submitted May 15, 2021 at 09:14PM by BeardedScreechOwl
via reddit https://ift.tt/3okE5o2
https://ift.tt/3fpwssx
Submitted May 15, 2021 at 09:14PM by BeardedScreechOwl
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NBC News
Flatulence forces emergency landing
An American Airlines flight was forced to make an emergency landing Monday morning after a passenger lit a match to disguise the scent of flatulence, authorities said.