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TIL that linguists estimate that at least half the world's 6,500 languages will become extinct in the next one hundred years. That means, on average, a language is dying about every two weeks

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yVWXp TIL that the Presidential transition between Truman and Eisenhower was extraordinarily acrimonious. In their car ride to the capital for the inauguration, Eisenhower wondered aloud "what SOB ordered my son back [from Korea], just to embarrass me.” Truman replied "I did."
D1aev TIL: Continental Cablevision broadcasted a T-shirt offer only to viewers who were obtaining the pay-per-view signal illegally. This was done by encoding the signal in a way only illegal decoders could decode. Those who responded were caught stealing cable.
l7L7a TIL that an NFL player simultaneously served in the US Navy. Napoleon McCallum played for the LA Raiders while assigned to a ship in Los Angeles; the military allows outside jobs that don't interfere with service. After one year he was reassigned; McCallum returned to the NFL after leaving the Navy.
rKBM TIL that since 1985 the Saudi government has ordered the destruction of 95% of Mecca’s historic buildings, most over a 1000 years old. It’s estimated that there now fewer than 20 buildings left from the time of Muhammad.
yVloM TIL that piston-engined aircraft still add lead to their fuel. In a deliberate attempt at lessening the perceived impact, high lead is called "low leaded fuel," and leaded fuel is called "very low leaded fuel" despite there being no safe upper limit for lead additives in fuel