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TIL After ships reached the end of their service lives, they are sent to poorer countries’ shores to be dissembled by workers who get paid less than 3 USD a day in near-death, toxic work environments. A large ship takes up to six months to dissemble into scrap metal, and death was not uncommon.

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1anYD TIL that for over 100 years, Canada forced many Indigenous children to attend Residential schools away from their families years at a time. The quality of instruction was sub-par, many children were physically, sexually, and mentally abused, and at least 4000 children died in the school system.
PYw7n TIL in the early 1900’s, Idaho potatoes were used only for hog food until a railroad superintendent found that they were delicious when baked. Celebrity endorsements, a song and a 40ft potato shaped sign (with electric winking eyes) soon followed and the "baked" potato became mainstream fare.
jNdgE TIL A convicted killer had his death sentence thrown out when it couldn’t be proven that he had assaulted a girl he had murdered. Believing he was now immune, he sent a taunting letter to the prosecutor, admitting the assault. It was used to successfully re-convict him to death.
699oZ TIL that Duke Nukem Forever holds the Guinness World record for "Longest development period for a videogame"
4XeGR TIL that the lyrics to Sheryl Crow's "Fun" come from a brilliant poem by Wyn Cooper. Crow's producer found a used copy of Cooper's book, of which only 500 copies were printed, in a bookstore around the corner from the recording studio.