naturalhistorymag.com

JYe8l TIL the first elephant in America was Old Bet, arriving in 1796. Capt Jacob Crowninshield bought it in Calcutta for $450 and sold it in New York for $10K. Old Bet was exhibited for years then sold to Hackaliah Bailey's circus. In 1816, Old Bet was shot in the eye and killed by a spectator.
rYrw TIL a diver drowned when the shells of a giant clam snapped on his arm as he reached inside. When his companions found the body, they also discovered the world’s largest pearl (14 lbs) in the clam.