› added 4 years ago

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TIL that Marathonist athletes in the early 1900s used brandy, glasses of bubbly, and strychnine (best known now as rat poison) and sometimes even heroin or cocaine to mask pain, increase aggressiveness, and/or give a quick energy boost during races!

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9wVbX TIL Oilbirds (Guácharos) are cave dwelling nocturnal fruiteaters that breed and roost in large colonies in lightless South American caves. They echolocate, use whiskers to sense surfaces, and have eyes with the highest light-gathering capacity of any bird. Their chicks are rich in fat.
9wL9Q TIL Since the late 1950s, aerospace engineers have used the term "unobtainium" when referring to unusual or costly materials, or when theoretically considering a material perfect for their needs in all respects, except that it does not exist.
8adyb TIL that Doane Robinson, the historian who came up with the idea for Mount Rushmore, initially didn't want it to feature former presidents. Robinson wanted sculptures of Lewis and Clark, Buffalo Bill Cody, Chief Red Cloud and other Sioux warriors but the sculptor refused to focus on regional heroes
XRX TIL if you send Mickey and Minnie Mouse an invitation to your wedding they’ll send you back an autographed photo and a ‘Just Married’ button. Also, if you send Cinderella and Prince Charming an invitation, you’ll get an autographed congratulatory certificate.
Bb6d TIL in Japan if someone on trial is filmed while in handcuffs their hands have to be pixelated to be shown on TV. This is because a man named Kazuyoshi Miura brought a succesful case to court arguing the image of him in handcuffs implied guilt and had prejudiced his trial.