› added 8 years ago

125

TIL the American Chestnut tree was almost completely destroyed by Chestnut Blight 100 years ago. Before the blight there were 4 billion trees, there are now around 100 mature trees left. Any new trees planted today are killed by the blight before they mature.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

aw7VA TIL Newly discovered fossils show that moths and butterflies have been on the planet for at least 200 million years whereas flowering plants came along around 130 million years ago. Butterflies survived without flowers for 70 million years
rRkN1 TIL when the ship the HMS Guardian struck an iceberg in 1789, its captain decided to stay on it with 62 people. 259 left in boats. However, the captain was able to save the ship and sail back to land. It took 9 weeks, but everyone on the ship made it. Of the 259 that left, only 15 survived.
NjB1 TIL a company offered to mail your enemies glitter, but was so overwhelmed by success, that it closed it’s doors
YpA4G TIL that preschool shows where characters ask the viewers directly to participate rarely have conflict. An early episode of Dora The Explorer that retold the three little pigs traumatised preschoolers because the viewers felt morally responsible for saving the pigs' lives.
0waNR TIL that the Japanese word "tempura" originates from the Portuguese word "tempêro" which means "to "season". Also, the tempura tradition was indirectly started by the Portuguese when they brought oil to Japan around 400 years ago.