› added 1 month ago

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TIL of the 'Azolla event', a situation in which a species of floating fern covered the Arctic Ocean ~49 million years ago; scientists suspect the fern grew so aggressively that it removed enough CO2 from the atmosphere to initiate a global ice age

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via reddit.com

yEJe TIL that a woman named Janice Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele caused an upgrade of the state’s drivers’ licence system to allow her name to fit.
jNGBn TIL John Williamas had no plans to compose the soundtrack for the Star Wars series. When he was writing for the first one, he was told there wouldn't be a second moving. Following the success of the movie, they told him that a second movie was cooking, and thus, the themes and leitmotifs were born!
bXaj TIL the UK has used ‘incident screens’ to block the view of traffic accidents, etc. on the highway, in an attempt to reduce rubbernecking delays.
VMx0D TIL That Martha 'Big Mouth' Raye so endeared herself to the US Military for her USO work she was made an honorary Lt. Colonel in the Army and Marines and was one of the only civilians to be made an honorary member of the US Army Special Forces.
GEXg TIL that there is an organization called the National Odd Shoe Exchange where you can send and receive shoes if your feet are different sizes