grbW7 TIL The UK has only electrified 38% of its rail.
LQGXv TIL Manon Rhéaume was the first woman to play in a National Hockey League (NHL) game, which also made her the first woman to play in any of the major professional North American sports leagues (September 23, 1992).
b6bo4 TIL that an Oceanian football club named Real Kakamora were once considered to be the WORST team in the world, as they’ve suffered 3 winless seasons in a 12-year span. However, due to recent online success, the team has improved greatly and nearly qualified for the Oceania Champions League!
QN5y9 TIL the fastest drag racer is a woman, Brittany Force.
ANBgo TIL up to 90% of all global deaths from acute radiation sickness since 1945 have occurred at a single facility: The Mayak Production Association in Chelyabinsk
yV9ol TIL that the first cross-country road trip in American history was in 1903, cost $8,000, took 63 days, and included a bulldog wearing goggles.
m1b8E TIL Japan protect artisans and craft through a "Living National Treasures" programs, supporting apprentice training, vocational schools, and financial stability of artisans that preserve cultural heritage
DQkAP TIL there's a life-sized Jason Vorhees statue chained down at the bottom of a Minnesota lake
vPxRB TIL Dunkin' Donuts (dba Dunkin') was renamed from "Open Kettle" to "Dunkin' Donuts" in 1950. An architect working for the restaurant was inspired by the idea of dunking doughnuts into coffee. In 2018, the name was changed to Dunkin'.
J1oR8 TIL that Morse code was used as international standard for maritime distress and was later replaced by the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. When the French Navy ceased using Morse code on 31/01/1997, the final message was "Calling all. This is our last call before our eternal silence."
pYjBe TIL the original Leo the Lion, the mascot for Hollywood’s Metro-Goldwyn movie studio, was Irish. Born in 1919 at the Dublin Zoo, he was named Cairbre, Irish for a mythical charioteer. Renamed Slats, he passed in 1936, and was buried under a pine tree at his trainer’s farm in New Jersey.
GAanQ TIL about "Shanghaiing", or crimping, the once common practice of kidnapping people to serve as sailors. The most successful "crimpers" could make $300,000+ in today's money. Despite technological advancements and multiple attempts at reform, it wasn't until 1915 that it was decisively outlawed.