› added 9 years ago

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TIL, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, 50% of Americans couldn’t come up with $2,000 in 30 days, and another 19% would have to pawn or sell some of their possessions to do so.

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oJGY TIL that the Liberty bell and Big Ben were cast by the same bell foundry, and that both bells are cracked.
1aOEW TIL in nautical terms, the chain that attaches to the corner of a sail is known as a "sheet". The expression "three sheets to the wind", which implies that someone is inebriated, refers to those chains being loose, allowing the sail to wave around wildly in the wind like a drunk.
W7LdA TIL The Knox Mine Disaster re-routed the Susquehanna River and created 7 new islands in it. It’s known as the final nail in the coffin for Pennsylvania’s coal mining industry. 12 miners died when they were ordered to illegally dig under the river in search of deeper deposits..
neWjG Today I learned Dr. Dre and Eminem recorded "My Name Is..." on the first day of recording tracks for the Slim Shady LP. It only took them an hour.
d8kbd TIL that Churches in the 19th century would give out ice cream, dubbing the events "Ice Cream Socials"